Social media has been used to organise violent protests following the Belfast knife attack, with Labour accusing Elon Musk of stoking divisions and contributing to the unrest
The use of social media in orchestrating violent protests over the Belfast knife attack has been met with criticism, with Labour pointing the finger at Elon Musk for fuelling divisions.
The tech tycoon continued to endorse calls for people to protest on the streets in response to the assault, which left a man seriously injured in hospital. A 30-year-old Sudanese man who was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028 has been charged with attempted murder and is due to appear in court later on Wednesday.
Chaos broke out in the city on Tuesday, with anti-immigration demonstrators setting vehicles and properties ablaze, causing some residents to evacuate their homes. Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley suggested that online platforms were “playing a role in driving” the unrest and hinted that X owner Mr Musk was one of the “bad faith actors” exacerbating tensions.
Mr Musk shared lists on X of potential protest locations – also posted by activist Tommy Robinson – and retweeted Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe’s post saying “Millions must go” with a screengrab of footage of the knife attack.
Ms Turley told Times Radio: “We have to acknowledge and see that social media is playing a role in driving this. And I think there are bad faith actors who are sitting often many, many miles away. It is easy for them to stoke these things up.”
When questioned if the tech mogul was one of those acting in bad faith, she stated: “He’s not living in the kind of communities where we’re seeing this kind of activity. He’s not at risk. It’s mums and families and people living in those homes in Belfast and on the streets of Britain who are at risk.
“He has a responsibility, everyone in public and civil life has a responsibility to call for calm and not to stoke grievance or hatred or division or tension that puts vulnerable people and our communities at risk.”
Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long urged social media instigators to “step away from their keyboards” following a night of unrest in Belfast.
Speaking on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, she said those who “yesterday would have struggled to find Belfast on a map” were “weaponising the fear that people genuinely have about what happened”.
“Because, ultimately, if you’re driving people from their homes based on nothing but the colour of their skin, you can’t dress that up any other way, it’s racism, and those bad faith actors need to take a step back,” Ms Long stated.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, repeatedly posted on X about the escalating disorder, stating “foreign businesses are being destroyed in Belfast” and that homes suspected of housing asylum seekers “are getting trashed by angry locals”.
Worries have also been voiced about messages encouraging disorder being forwarded numerous times on WhatsApp. One message reportedly circulated overnight encouraged men aged 18 and over to “wear dark clothing and be prepared to fight or be arrested”.
Ms Turley spoke to Times Radio, stating: “I would absolutely condemn that kind of message. That solves nothing. That kind of message is more than irresponsible, it is dangerous, and it should not be happening. And I’d urge everyone to stay calm.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey highlighted the role of social media algorithms in amplifying extremist content. Speaking on X, he said: “I am horrified by the disorder and racist violence in Belfast last night.
“Far too often now, we see extremists exploiting people’s anger and grief to spread hatred and violence – with the help of divisive algorithms on social media. This has to stop.”
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