Downing Street has accused Elon Musk of spreading “dangerous and inflammatory” language at a protest organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson over the weekend.
No 10 said rhetoric used by the tech billionaire threatened “violence and intimidation” on Britain’s streets, after he told demonstrators at the rally in London to “fight back” or “die”.
The American owner of Tesla and X also called for an urgent change in government in the UK and told the crowd that “violence is coming” in a guest appearance at the protest on Saturday.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The UK is a fair, tolerant and decent country.
“The last thing the British people want is this sort of dangerous and inflammatory language.”
He said it threatened “violence and intimidation on our streets,” adding: “I don’t think the British public will have any truck with that kind of language.”
Between 110,000 and 150,000 people turned out for the protest on Saturday, significantly exceeding the estimates of organisers.
Some 26 police officers were injured, including four who were seriously hurt, and 24 people were arrested for a range of offences including affray, violent disorder, assault and criminal damage
It is not the first time the Tesla boss has waded into British politics. He previously used his X social media platform to start a war of words with the Government over grooming gangs in the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer condemned the use of the flag as a symbol of “violence, fear and division” in a statement at the weekend.
He said the right to peaceful protest was core to British values but that he would not stand for “assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin”.
“Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect,” Sir Keir said.
“Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”
Other Cabinet ministers described Mr Musk’s intervention as “totally inappropriate”, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Britain’s democracy is “too precious to be a plaything for foreign tech barons”.
Sir Ed also said he had written to the Prime Minister, Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage over the weekend, urging them to join him in condemning the “dangerous” remarks.
Asked about the language on Monday, Mr Farage said the “context” in which the words had been used left a “degree of ambiguity”.
“If the fight that Musk was talking about was about standing up for our rights and free speech, if it was about fighting in elections to overcome the established parties, then that absolutely is the fight that we’re in,” he said.
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