Elon Musk has been accused of putting vulnerable people at risk by stoking divisions and endorsing violent protests following a knife attack in Belfast. The tech billionaire shared posts on X calling for street demonstrations after the assault, which left a man in his 40s with devastating injuries.
Belfast knife attack sparks unrest
A 30-year-old Sudanese man, granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028, has been charged with attempted murder and is due in court. The attack triggered anti-immigration protests that turned violent, with vehicles and properties set on fire, forcing some residents to flee their homes.
Labour criticises Musk
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley suggested that online platforms were 'playing a role in driving' the unrest and hinted that X owner Musk was one of the 'bad faith actors' exacerbating tensions. She told Times Radio: '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.'
Musk shared lists of potential protest locations on X, also posted by activist Tommy Robinson, and retweeted a post from Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe saying 'Millions must go' with a screengrab of the knife attack.
Political reactions
Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long urged social media instigators to 'step away from their keyboards' after the unrest. 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'. She added: '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.'
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey highlighted the role of social media algorithms in amplifying extremist content. He said: '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.'
Worries have also been voiced about messages encouraging disorder forwarded on WhatsApp. One message reportedly urged men aged 18 and over to 'wear dark clothing and be prepared to fight or be arrested'.
