Elon Musk encouraged 'repeated and loud' protests ahead of Northern Ireland's immigration demonstrations
Tech mogul Elon Musk encouraged “repeated and loud” protests ahead of Northern Ireland’s immigration demonstrations, some of which flared into violence.
The owner of X, formerly Twitter, went on to comment that “only Restore Britain can save Britain” over the course of comments on a horrific knife attack carried out by a Sudanese man on the streets of north Belfast.
Reposting commentary on the attack from Restore Britain’s leader, Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe, Mr Musk added the party “is the only way”.
A couple of hours before the anti-immigration protests were due to begin, he reposted a tweet from English activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, which contained supposed lists of protests due to take place in both Northern Ireland and many towns and cities in England, Scotland and Wales.
Accompanying the repost, Mr Musk wrote: “Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change.”
Most of the demonstrations supposedly listed for mainland Great Britain failed to materialise, though several of the locations in Northern Ireland proved to be accurate.
Violence flared in parts of the province over the course of Tuesday evening, with homes attacked in Belfast and a police car set on fire in Portadown.
Residents were evacuated from houses set on fire and vandalised in Lendrick Street in east Belfast, while Translink stopped all trains and buses around the province after a Glider bus was burned out.
The incidents were called out by senior politicians, with DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson both criticising the perpetrators.
Calling for calm, Ms Little-Pengelly stated: “Violence does not advance any cause, it damages it. Destroying things within your own community benefits no one.
“Taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.”
And Mr Robinson stated: “If you are not prepared to make your views known peacefully and lawfully then you are undermining the cause you are claiming to stand for.”
The suspect in the brutal knife attack, a man in his 30s, is due to appear in court on Wednesday morning charged with attempted murder. The victim, aged in his 40s, lies in a serious condition in hospital with severe wounds to his eyes, face and back.