LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “dangerous” comments by Elon Musk after the X and Tesla owner told an anti-immigration rally that violence is coming to Britain and they must fight or die.
Starmer denounced violence on the fringes of Saturday’s 100,000 or more-strong “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration in London organized by far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson.
There were 25 people arrested at the event and the Metropolitan Police said more arrests would follow.
Addressing the demonstration by video link, Musk called for the dissolution of Parliament and an early election to remove Starmer’s center-left government.
The flag featured heavily at anti-asylum protests this summer, which were attended and in some cases organized by far-right activists.
LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced Elon Musk’s “dangerous” remarks on Monday after the owner of X and Tesla warned during an anti-immigration rally that violence was on its way to Britain and that people had to fight or perish. Yet the U. K. The government rejected calls from the opposition to punish Musk for the comments.
Starmer condemned violence that occurred on the outskirts of the “Unite the Kingdom” protest in London on Saturday, which was organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and drew 100,000 or more participants.
According to police, a minority of the demonstrators attempted to cross the lines separating them from a smaller anti-racist counter-demonstration, injuring 26 officers, four of whom were critically hurt. The Metropolitan Police reported that more arrests would be made after the 25 people who were arrested at the event.
Musk, speaking via video link to the protest, demanded that Parliament be dissolved and that an early election be held in order to overthrow Starmer’s center-left administration. He warned the demonstrators that “violence is coming to you” and that they had to fight back or perish. “”.
Dave Pares, Starmer’s spokesperson, stated that he didn’t believe “the British public will have any truck with that kind of language.”.
“The U. K. “The last thing the British people want is inflammatory and dangerous language that threatens violence and intimidation on our streets, as we live in a fair, tolerant, and decent country,” he said.
demands that Musk be sanctioned.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest party in the British Parliament, Ed Davey, called on Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative opposition, and Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, to join him in denouncing Musk’s attempt “to sow discord and incite violence on our streets” and to meddle in British democracy.
Starmer should prevent Tesla from receiving government contracts, Davey urged.
According to Starmer’s spokesperson, the government has no intention of punishing Musk for his remarks.
“Peaceful protest is core to our country’s values,” the prime minister wrote on X. However, we will not tolerate attacks on law enforcement personnel carrying out their duties or individuals experiencing intimidation on our streets due to their skin color or background. “”.
Musk, a former Trump ally, has previously backed far-right and hard-right parties in Europe, such as the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, and Robinson, a convicted fraudster and founder of the anti-Islam English Defense League whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
Musk is also critical of U.S. attempts. The K. and other European governments to crack down on offensive internet content, which he claims impedes the right to free expression.
With many of the speeches by far-right politicians and influencers from all over Europe focusing mostly on the alleged dangers of migration, Saturday’s march was promoted as a protest in favor of free speech.
Unauthorized immigration, particularly the influx of migrants in small boats across the English Channel, sparked growing political concern. Although authorities in France, Britain, and other nations have attempted to crack down on the people-smuggling gangs responsible for the trips, more than 30,000 people have made the perilous crossing from France so far this year.
Asylum-seeker accommodations in hotels have become a contentious political issue in Britain, leading to dozens of small-scale but intense protests throughout the summer, some of which descended into violence.
raising the flag.
Several protesters waved the U. K. The Union Jack or the red and white St. George’s flag of England. As part of an apparently grassroots campaign, the flags have been flying from lampposts, motorway bridges, and road intersections all over the nation in recent weeks. In what some perceive as an intimidating move directed at ethnic minorities, red crosses have also been painted on buildings.
The St. Specifically, the George flag is a multifaceted symbol. Supporting England’s sporting teams can be a way to show pride and patriotism, but the hard right and anti-immigration demonstrators have occasionally appropriated it. This summer’s anti-asylum demonstrations, which were attended and occasionally coordinated by far-right activists, made extensive use of the flag.
Sunder Katwala of British Future, a think tank that examines topics like integration and national identity, added, “Flags can unite and divide because they are flown by people with different motives and meanings.”.
The use of flags “to intimidate or demark certain areas as being out of bounds” is a historical phenomenon, according to James Freeman, a senior lecturer in political history at the University of Bristol. However, the connection between the St. The hard right and George Flag are “relatively recent.”. ”.
“Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity, and respect,” wrote Starmer on X, an individual who has advocated for flying flags as a patriotic gesture. Our flag is a representation of our multicultural nation, and we will never allow it to be used as a tool for division, violence, or fear. “.”.
