Elon Musk has been branded a 'bad news actor' by Labour chairwoman Anna Turley, who accused the tech billionaire of stoking divisions on X and driving unrest following a knife attack in Belfast. The incident left a man in hospital and led to violent protests in the city.
Labour chairwoman's criticism
Anna Turley, the Labour Party chairwoman, said social media platforms were 'playing a role in driving' the disorder and singled out X owner Elon Musk among 'bad faith actors' inflaming tensions. She 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 asked directly if Musk was one of those actors, Turley responded: '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.'
Musk's social media activity
Musk shared lists on X of locations where protests could take place, 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. The attack occurred on Monday, and a 30-year-old Sudanese man, who had been granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028, has been charged with attempted murder. He is due to appear in court later today.
Violent disorder in Belfast
Violent disorder erupted in Belfast on Tuesday night, with vehicles set on fire and properties damaged. Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long called on social media agitators to 'step away from their keyboards' and condemned those who 'yesterday would have struggled to find Belfast on a map' for 'weaponising the fear that people genuinely have about what happened'. She added: '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.'
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, made a series of posts on X regarding the unrest, claiming 'foreign businesses are being destroyed in Belfast' and that properties believed to be housing asylum seekers 'are getting trashed by angry locals'.
Concerns over WhatsApp messages
Concerns have also been raised about messages circulating on WhatsApp that appear to encourage further disorder. One message reportedly called on men aged 18 and above to 'wear dark clothing and be prepared to fight or be arrested'. Turley condemned such messages, saying: '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's response
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also weighed in, saying social media algorithms were amplifying extremist content. He posted on X: '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.'
