Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has claimed “Russia is not the enemy of Britain” after he travelled to Moscow and met with Elon Musk’s father, Errol.
Elon Musk has long been a supporter of Robinson, with both men calling for people to take to the streets in response to the knife attack in Belfast.
Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, shared a list of places where protests were said to be taking place at 7pm on Tuesday following the Belfast attack, saying: “The whole of the United Kingdom is hitting the streets tonight at 7pm following yet another invader attack on our people.”
Robinson posted a video of himself and Errol Musk, apparently filmed in a Moscow hotel, on Monday in which he says: “We are going to go and cause some trouble.”
Errol Musk reportedly attended the annual Kremlin-backed economic forum last week.
When asked by The Guardian why he had travelled to Moscow, Robinson said: “I’ve come to see how this country got itself so well on to the straight and narrow and see the beauty of a civilised society here.”
He added: “Russia is not the enemy of Britain. That narrative has long since died a natural death.
“There are those who benefit from pushing Russia as an enemy but everyone laughs at those people now.”
Last week, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Musk of “interfering in our politics” and “trying to whip up division” in the wake of the sentencing of the murderer of Henry Nowak.
Labour Party chair Anna Turley said online platforms were “playing a role in driving” the unrest and suggested X owner Mr Musk was one of the “bad-faith actors” inflaming tensions.
Mr Musk shared lists on X of locations where protests could take place – also posted by Robinson – and retweeted Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe’s post saying “Millions must go” with a screengrab of footage of the knife attack.
Ms Turley told Times Radio: “We have to acknowledge and see that social media is playing a role in driving this. And I think there are bad-faith actors who are sitting often many, many miles away. It is easy for them to stoke these things up.”
Asked whether the tech tycoon was one of those bad faith actors, she said: “He’s not living in the kind of communities where we’re seeing this kind of activity. He’s not at risk.
“It’s mums and families and people living in those homes in Belfast and on the streets of Britain who are at risk.
“He has a responsibility, everyone in public and civil life has a responsibility to call for calm and not to stoke grievance or hatred or division or tension that puts vulnerable people and our communities at risk.”
