diff --git a/examples/gst/bps.py b/examples/gst/bps.py
index cb161c10de..d06662a62a 100755
--- a/examples/gst/bps.py
+++ b/examples/gst/bps.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class BPS(object):
 
     def build_pipeline(self, buffers):
         pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-        assert pipeline
 
         src = self.fakesrc(buffers)
         pipeline.add(src)
diff --git a/examples/gst/dvdplay.py b/examples/gst/dvdplay.py
index 5fa163bb49..80563a4979 100755
--- a/examples/gst/dvdplay.py
+++ b/examples/gst/dvdplay.py
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ class DVDPlayer(object):
    def build_video_thread(self):
       # ***** pre-construct the video thread *****
       self.v_thread = Thread('v_thread')
-      assert self.v_thread
 
       self.v_queue = Element('queue','v_queue')
 
@@ -151,7 +150,6 @@ class DVDPlayer(object):
    def build_audio_thread(self):
       # ***** pre-construct the audio thread *****
       self.a_thread = Thread('a_thread')
-      assert self.a_thread
 
       self.a_queue = Element('queue','a_queue')
 
@@ -171,7 +169,6 @@ class DVDPlayer(object):
    def build(self):
       # ***** construct the main pipeline *****
       self.pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-      assert self.pipeline
 
       self.src = Element('dvdreadsrc','src');
 
diff --git a/examples/gst/f2f.py b/examples/gst/f2f.py
index 81f30bf034..f4173f57dc 100755
--- a/examples/gst/f2f.py
+++ b/examples/gst/f2f.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ def main():
    # create a new bin to hold the elements
    #gst_debug_set_categories(-1)
    bin = Pipeline('pipeline')
-   assert bin
 
    src = Element('fakesrc', 'src')
    src.connect('handoff', handoff)
diff --git a/examples/gst/lat.py b/examples/gst/lat.py
index ad65a1eadf..106dd1f8b3 100755
--- a/examples/gst/lat.py
+++ b/examples/gst/lat.py
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ def simple(argv):
       gst_schedulerfactory_set_default_name (argv[1])
 
    pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-   assert pipeline
 
    src = fakesrc()
    pipeline.add(src)
@@ -114,13 +113,10 @@ def queue(argv):
       gst_schedulerfactory_set_default_name (argv[1])
 
    pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-   assert pipeline
 
    src_thr = Thread('src_thread')
-   assert src_thr
 
    src = fakesrc()
-   assert src
    src_thr.add(src)
 
    src_q = Element('queue','src_q')
@@ -136,10 +132,8 @@ def queue(argv):
    last.get_pad('src').link(sink_q.get_pad('sink'))
 
    sink_thr = Thread('sink_thread')
-   assert sink_thr
 
    sink = fakesink()
-   assert sink
 
    sink_thr.add(sink)
 
diff --git a/examples/gstreamer/bps.py b/examples/gstreamer/bps.py
index cb161c10de..d06662a62a 100755
--- a/examples/gstreamer/bps.py
+++ b/examples/gstreamer/bps.py
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ class BPS(object):
 
     def build_pipeline(self, buffers):
         pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-        assert pipeline
 
         src = self.fakesrc(buffers)
         pipeline.add(src)
diff --git a/examples/gstreamer/dvdplay.py b/examples/gstreamer/dvdplay.py
index 5fa163bb49..80563a4979 100755
--- a/examples/gstreamer/dvdplay.py
+++ b/examples/gstreamer/dvdplay.py
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ class DVDPlayer(object):
    def build_video_thread(self):
       # ***** pre-construct the video thread *****
       self.v_thread = Thread('v_thread')
-      assert self.v_thread
 
       self.v_queue = Element('queue','v_queue')
 
@@ -151,7 +150,6 @@ class DVDPlayer(object):
    def build_audio_thread(self):
       # ***** pre-construct the audio thread *****
       self.a_thread = Thread('a_thread')
-      assert self.a_thread
 
       self.a_queue = Element('queue','a_queue')
 
@@ -171,7 +169,6 @@ class DVDPlayer(object):
    def build(self):
       # ***** construct the main pipeline *****
       self.pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-      assert self.pipeline
 
       self.src = Element('dvdreadsrc','src');
 
diff --git a/examples/gstreamer/f2f.py b/examples/gstreamer/f2f.py
index 81f30bf034..f4173f57dc 100755
--- a/examples/gstreamer/f2f.py
+++ b/examples/gstreamer/f2f.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ def main():
    # create a new bin to hold the elements
    #gst_debug_set_categories(-1)
    bin = Pipeline('pipeline')
-   assert bin
 
    src = Element('fakesrc', 'src')
    src.connect('handoff', handoff)
diff --git a/examples/gstreamer/lat.py b/examples/gstreamer/lat.py
index ad65a1eadf..106dd1f8b3 100755
--- a/examples/gstreamer/lat.py
+++ b/examples/gstreamer/lat.py
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ def simple(argv):
       gst_schedulerfactory_set_default_name (argv[1])
 
    pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-   assert pipeline
 
    src = fakesrc()
    pipeline.add(src)
@@ -114,13 +113,10 @@ def queue(argv):
       gst_schedulerfactory_set_default_name (argv[1])
 
    pipeline = Pipeline('pipeline')
-   assert pipeline
 
    src_thr = Thread('src_thread')
-   assert src_thr
 
    src = fakesrc()
-   assert src
    src_thr.add(src)
 
    src_q = Element('queue','src_q')
@@ -136,10 +132,8 @@ def queue(argv):
    last.get_pad('src').link(sink_q.get_pad('sink'))
 
    sink_thr = Thread('sink_thread')
-   assert sink_thr
 
    sink = fakesink()
-   assert sink
 
    sink_thr.add(sink)