London, United Kingdom
After a man was detained over comments made on Facebook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk escalated his dispute with the United Kingdom, calling the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer "two-tier Keir" and questioning if the riots were taking place in Britain or the Soviet Union.
The X owner has been at odds with Sir Keir Starmer over police response to riots in the UK. In his latest retort, Musk shared a video that shows police officers detaining a man for making inappropriate comments on Facebook.
Musk wrote on X, "Arrested for making comments on Facebook!"
"Is this Britain or the Soviet Union? Is this accurate @Community Notes," he added.
In 2030 for making a Facebook comment that the UK government didn’t like pic.twitter.com/UhKDLeCPJb
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2024
In the video, an officer informs a man that he is being detained on suspicion of using the electronic communications network inappropriately.
Watch | Bangladesh crisis: Sources say, UK rejects Hasina's asylum request
This includes sending messages that are "grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character" and could result in up to six months in jail or a fine.
In reaction to a video that showed multiple groups of masked individuals gathered outside a pub, some carrying the Palestinian flag, Musk, in another post aimed at Keir questioned, "Why aren't all communities protected in Britain?"
Also read: UK violence: 400 arrested, man assaulted in Belfast 'race hate crime'
On Monday, Musk made similar comments towards Starmer's announcement that he would not stand for violence against Muslim communities. Over the last week, protesters have targeted mosques and hotels that house asylum seekers around the United Kingdom.
In another post, Musk used "#twotierKeir", referring to "two-tier policing." This term is frequently used by far-right groups to imply that police treat different groups unfairly.
Downing Street has decided not to engage with the owner of X anymore. They previously stated his comments about a potential civil war in the UK had "no justification." Despite this, Musk continues to target Starmer on his social media platform.
Chief Whip Alan Campbell, in a letter to MPs, emphasised the importance of avoiding actions that might spread misinformation on social media and advised against getting involved in online debates.
(With inputs from agencies)