Elon Musk accused of amplifying anti-migrant violence on X after Belfast knife attack sparks two nights of riots

The knife attack and arrest

A knife attack in Belfast on Monday 8 June 2026 led to the charging of a 30-year-old Sudanese national, Hadi Alodid, with attempted murder. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed the charges as the incident ignited immediate tensions in the city.

Musk's amplification on X

Elon Musk, newly crowned the world's first trillionaire following SpaceX's $1.75 trillion flotation, posted footage of the attack to his 240 million followers and called for protest.

“Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change.”

He also reposted a claim from Reform UK's Matt Goodwin blaming the incident on open borders, and boosted messages from anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) and Rupert Lowe, leader of the hard-right Restore Britain party. Researchers at the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) said the three men's posts together amassed over 115 million views, with Musk alone accounting for 64 million (55%).

“Yet our research shows that he used the Belfast tragedy to amplify anti-migrant narratives to millions of users, prompting endless calls for violence.”

X did not respond to a request for comment.

Two nights of violence

Rioting broke out on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Masked men set vehicles alight, blocked the Sandyknowes roundabout in Newtownabbey, and forced families from their homes, which were then set on fire. Anonymous WhatsApp messages urged men aged 18 and over in Northern Ireland to "be prepared to fight or be arrested." Rupert Lowe pledged on YouTube that his party would begin mass deportations and reintroduce the death penalty to prevent attacks by what he called "barbarians."

Watchdog and government response

The CCDH called Musk's role "instrumental" and warned of a surge in online calls for violence. Imran Ahmed, the group's founder, said Musk bore responsibility for the content his platform promotes. In the UK, tech secretary Liz Kendall said the government would legislate to reduce the time social media platforms have to remove illegal content, but she published her statement on X itself.

Elon Musk64

Tommy Robinson & Rupert Lowe51

Elon Musk

64 million views

Tommy Robinson & Rupert Lowe

51 million views

Data from the article text

SpaceX milestone provides backdrop

The controversy unfolded as SpaceX's combined spaceflight, AI and tech group began trading publicly, valued at $1.75 trillion. The listing made Musk the first person in history to exceed a net worth of $1,000 billion, a milestone that, alongside the UN's announced first-ever summit on AI governance, sharply contrasted with the violence and online radicalisation playing out in Northern Ireland.