Starmer Faces Pressure to Act Against Musk After Rally Address

London, Sep 15 (AP) - Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing demands to take action against Elon Musk after Musk addressed an anti-immigration rally, warning that Britain is on the brink of violence and urging attendees to "fight or die." Starmer has strongly condemned the violence seen at Saturday's "Unite the Kingdom" demonstration, organized by far-right leader Tommy Robinson, which attracted over 100,000 participants in London. Police reported that 26 officers were injured, four of them seriously, during the clashes with efforts to breach barriers that separated them from a smaller anti-racist protest. Twenty-five arrests have been made, with authorities indicating more might be on the way. Musk's controversial video message at the rally called for the dissolution of Parliament, an early election, and a government change in Britain. He warned demonstrators, "violence is coming to you," and urged them "to fight back or die." Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey urged Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to denounce Musk's remarks, accusing him of attempting to incite violence and disrupt British democracy. He suggested considering sanctions against Musk for the comments. Equalities Minister Jacqui Smith criticized Musk's statements as "wrong and dangerous," while Business Secretary Peter Kyle described them as "slightly incomprehensible" and "totally inappropriate," although he acknowledged the demonstration as a sign of free speech in action. Starmer has not directly responded to Musk's comments but emphasized on platform X the importance of peaceful protest and stated that violence against police officers or intimidation based on background or race is unacceptable. Musk has previously aligned with far-right figures in Europe, including Robinson, a convicted fraudster and the founder of the anti-Islam English Defence League, and the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD. He has also critiqued efforts by the UK and other European governments to regulate harmful online content, arguing that these measures threaten free speech. The rally coincides with an increasing political spotlight on unauthorized immigration, especially the influx of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. Despite cooperative efforts by Britain, France, and others to combat smuggling operations, over 30,000 people have made the perilous crossing from France so far this year. The use of hotels to house asylum-seekers has been a contentious political issue in Britain, igniting several small protests throughout the summer, some of which have escalated to violence. Saturday's "Unite the Kingdom" event, one of the largest nationalist rallies in the UK in decades, saw central London blanketed with Union Jack and St. George flags. In recent weeks, these flags have become increasingly visible across the country in what appears to be a grassroots initiative, though the red crosses painted on buildings are viewed by some as an act of intimidation against ethnic minorities. Starmer reaffirmed on X that Britain is rooted in tolerance, diversity, and respect, and stressed that the national flag represents these values, not division and violence. (AP) SKS SKS

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