A British government representative has lashed out at Twitter owner Elon Musk for tweeting that the UK is on the brink of civil war. Musk responded to tweets describing widespread anti-immigration protests in Britain with the words, “Civil war is inevitable.” A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there was “no justification” for the remarks, while Justice Minister Heidi Alexander called for calm, and said Musk has a particular responsibility to be mindful of his comments, given the size of his platform.
The world’s richest man also agreed with online complaints that Britain has a two-tier justice system that punishes natives while protecting immigrants for the same or even worse crimes. British politicians, including Mr. Starmer, have dismissed protestors as “far right thugs,” which many suggest has inflamed matters further.
Demonstrations and a number of riots broke out across the country after news broke that the son of Rwandan immigrants stabbed several children – killing three – at a Taylor Swift dance class in the northwest English town of Southport. Protestors say they are tired of immigrant crime and what they believe is an unjust legal system that punishes them for their political views, while migrants routinely escape punishment.
While senior police have dismissed the idea of two-tier justice, video footage posted online shows heavy-handedness with protestors, while groups of Muslims brandishing weapons were allowed to proceed uninterrupted. When asked about the discrepancy, West Midlands Police Superintendent Emlyn Richards appeared to admit that they permitted Muslim communities to police themselves. He said his officers met with “community leaders” to discuss how to handle the Muslim demonstrations. Director of the Migration Watch think tank Mike Jones said the remarks amounted to a “smoking gun” that confirmed the reality of two-tier policing.
The UK has experienced unprecedented immigration levels over the past decade, with hundreds landing on the country’s beaches daily. Natives frequently express fury that illegal immigrants are transported from beaches and housed in hotels at taxpayers’ expense until they are provided with permanent accommodation. Last year, just under 30,000 people arrived in Britain on small boats – lower than the 45,774 in 2022.
