The Tory leader said she didn’t think Musk was inciting violence and defended Tommy Robinson’s rally
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has refused to condemn tech billionaire Elon Musk’s calls for violence at a Tommy Robinson rally.
Musk, appearing via videolink at Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom event last Saturday, told the crowd: “You’re in a fundamental situation here where whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, that’s the truth.”
He also called for the dissolution of Parliament and for the elected Labour government to be overthrown.
Pressed by LBC presenter Iain Dale, Badenoch refused to criticise either Musk or Robinson, stating that she didn’t believe Musk’s comments amounted to incitement.
“What I don’t want to be doing is condemning this person, condemning that person,” she said, adding that Musk’s words could be “read in multiple contexts”.
Dale pushed back: “He was inciting violence.”
Badenoch replied: “I don’t actually think that he was. I think he was saying if people are being violent, fight back.”
When reminded that Musk had told the crowd to “fight back or die”, she admitted: “It’s not the sort of language that I would use, but what I’m trying to do now is de-escalate.”
Badenoch argued that being asked to condemn Musk was not “de-escalation”. Dale countered: “I think it is actually. I think people out there listening will think, well, that’s exactly what a responsible leader of the opposition should do.”
But still, Badenoch would not condemn Musk’s incitement of violence and defended the far-right rally.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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