Elon Musk hits back at Sir Keir Starmer after 'civil war' comments dismissed

Elon Musk and the prime minister are arguing with each other after the billionaire said the UK is on track for civil unrest.

Musk, the extremely wealthy owner of X, sparked a disagreement with Downing Street regarding the riots happening in the UK. There are worries that false information spread online is contributing to the chaos.

Latest news on the riots in the UK: Policing challenges are extremely difficult as opposing protests come together.

Musk commented on his social media post with a video showing rioters setting off fireworks at the police, stating that a civil war is bound to happen.

The prime minister's spokesperson promptly dismissed the statement, stating that there is no valid reason for making such comments and anyone inciting violence on the internet will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Musk responded to a message on social media from Sir Keir that condemned violence against Muslims.

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Far-right protests have targeted mosques and hotels where asylum seekers are staying.

Sir Keir stated that the disturbances are not peaceful demonstrations, but rather acts of violence. He emphasized that any assaults on mosques or Muslim communities will not be accepted.

Musk responded: "Aren't you worried about harm to all groups?"

The argument jeopardizes the government's attempts to hold social media companies accountable for deleting harmful online content that is believed to be fueling violence.

Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, had a meeting with the executives of Tiktok, Meta, Google, and X on Monday night. The purpose of the meeting was to remind them of their duty to collaborate with the government in preventing the dissemination of harmful false information and encouragement of violence.

After the meeting, the cabinet minister expressed that there is a large amount of content circulating online that platforms need to act on quickly.

Various businesses have varying strategies, and I anticipate that online platforms will take steps to prevent those spreading hate from being supported and having no place to escape.

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Earlier, Sir Keir led an urgent meeting of the COBRA committee to discuss the riots. During the meeting, he warned that those inciting violence through social media will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The prime minister stated that encouraging violence, whether it occurs on the internet or in person, is unacceptable.

"As a result, I anticipate that those actively involved in the protests will also face consequences such as being arrested, charged, and prosecuted."

Similarly, individuals who are discovered to have engaged in unlawful activities on the internet can anticipate facing comparable consequences.

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Explore further: What is causing riots in the United Kingdom? Asylum seekers resorted to sleeping in the woods after their hotel was attacked.

Over 400 individuals have been taken into custody since the unrest began last Tuesday.

Last night, Devon and Cornwall Police reported that they had made arrests following protests in Plymouth. A police van was damaged and officers were faced with a high level of violence during the demonstrations.

Many countries have issued alerts to their citizens in the UK because of the violent protests, such as Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Despite the suggestions to deploy the army, the government has rejected this idea and stated that the police are adequately equipped to handle the situation.

The disturbance started in Southport after Axel Rudakubana was taken into custody for allegedly killing three young girls and attempting to murder 10 others.

Last Monday, a tragic incident in the Merseyside town resulted in the deaths of Elsie Dot Stancombe, who was seven years old, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, who was nine years old, and Bebe King, who was six years old, in a knife attack.

False information online claimed that the individual taken into custody was a Muslim asylum seeker who came to the United Kingdom in the past year on a small vessel.

Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda and later relocated to a small village close to Southport.

Andrew Tate, the influencer known for sparking controversy, spread the untrue story by claiming that the perpetrator was an "undocumented immigrant".

In another statement, Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, expressed doubts about the honesty of the police, who had stated that the attack was not linked to terrorism.

Sir Keir mentioned that there is a group of expert police officers ready to deal with more violent unrest.

The leader of the government also revealed that there will be an increase in criminal justice efforts, with courts operating for extended hours.

He has asked for the names of those accused to be revealed as soon as possible.

Sir Keir stated that regardless of the reasons behind it, the actions were not a form of protest but simply violent acts. He emphasized that any attacks on mosques or Muslim communities would not be tolerated.