British premier blasts Elon Musk's 'civil war' comments, vows legal response

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) — In a stern response to recent unrest in the UK, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to address online incitement with full legal force on Monday.

This comes after Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of social media platform X, suggested that "civil war is inevitable" in a post with a video of rioters clashing with police.

According local media citing Keir Starmer's spokesperson, the Labour leader reinforced this message during an emergency Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBRA) meeting held on Monday.

He emphasized the seriousness of Musk's comments, saying they had "no justification."

"Anyone who is whipping up violence online will face the full force of the law. Online platforms have a responsibility," added Starmer.

He underscored that "the law applies online" and stressed that incitement to violence would be treated with the same severity as direct participation in violent acts.

"Equally, anyone who has been found to have committed a criminal offence online can expect the same response," he added.

Starmer outlined several key measures that were agreed upon. Among them is the establishment of a "standing army" of specialist officers, prepared to address incidents as they arise.

The unrest began last Tuesday following the arrest of Axel Rudakubana, 17, who is charged with the murder of three young girls and the attempted murder of 10 others.

The victims, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, were killed in a knife attack in Southport, north of Liverpool.

Inaccurate online claims suggested that Rudakubana was a Muslim refugee who had recently arrived in the UK, fueling further tensions.

Despite Rudakubana’s actual background as a Cardiff-born individual with Rwandan heritage, these false narratives have intensified the situation.