The Metropolitan Police in London is stepping up its rhetoric in the wake of the recent riots in the UK, threatening not only British citizens for speaking out about the riots in the UK, but also US citizens such as Elon Musk.
Police Commissioner Mark Rowley warns that the full force of the law will be applied to those who contribute to the spread of “violence and hatred”, whether they are in the country or not.
Following the recent violent protests in the UK, sparked by rumors that an asylum seeker was responsible for a deadly knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event, the British government has repeatedly indicated that the already devalued freedom of expression and opinion will be further curtailed.
The tragic event has led to a series of violent protests that have also touched on issues related to the large-scale migration that the UK has long faced.
Footage of violent clashes between anti-migration protesters and counter-protesters, often of foreign origin, has recently spread like wildfire on various social media platforms.
But new Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has chosen to focus on the protests rather than the stabbing itself, and now the country’s police and other authorities are strongly discouraging foreign citizens from posting on social media.
– We will throw the full force of the law at people. And whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you, said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley threatens to EXTRADITE and imprison American citizens over online posts.
He does not rule out Elon Musk. pic.twitter.com/AUJhEgTTtJ
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 9, 2024
“We are coming after you”
Chief Constable Sir Mark Rowley made his and the government’s position clear in an interview with Sky News. When the reporter claimed that several high-profile individuals had “whipped up the hate”, singling out “the likes of Elon Musk”, the Commissioner backed her up.
– Being a keyboard warrior does not make you safe from the law. You can be guilty of offenses of incitement, of stirring up racial hatred, there are numerous terrorist offenses regarding the publishing of material.
When asked what the police’s plan will be when it comes to dealing with people who incite this kind of behavior behind the keyboard and who may be in another country, he replied that “all of those offenses are in play if people are provoking hatred and violence on the streets, and we will come after those individuals just as we will physically confront on the streets the thugs and the yobs who are taking — who are causing the problems for communities”.
Found this pic of the UK justice system pic.twitter.com/qD1LNwVme3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 10, 2024
Elon Musk one of those singled out
Elon Musk is one of those singled out by Sir Mark Rowley as an example of who could face prosecution. Musk has attracted widespread attention for his criticism of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the wake of the riots.
Among other things, he has suggested that the UK is heading for “civil war” and asked the question “Is this Britain or the Soviet Union?” in response to a video of someone allegedly arrested for offensive online comments.
UK Riots: Elon Musk claims 'civil war' in the UK is inevitable https://t.co/2hwgi59E9h via @YouTube
— Allison Yeager (@allisonyeager) August 12, 2024
His criticism of the UK’s handling of the riots has made the world-famous entrepreneur a potential target for British justice.
A spokesperson for Keir Starmer has dismissed Musk’s comments, claiming they cannot be “justified”.
According to the BBC, the same spokesperson has also insisted that social media companies “can and should do more” to “combat disinformation” and have a responsibility to “stop the spread of criminal activity and curb disinformation”.
