Elon Musk under fire for stoking anti-immigrant riots in Belfast

Michelle O’Neill, the first minister of Northern Ireland, had earlier condemned “the Elon Musks of this world,” who she said “are sitting right comfy in their homes, orchestrating hate and tension.”

Starmer did not mention Musk by name, but called out “those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere.” He also criticized people “trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.”

His official spokesperson added Thursday that the government “will not tolerate platforms being used to spread violence.”

As for the riots themselves, the British government’s Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn called them “racist thuggery” in an interview with Britain’s Sky News.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland warned Thursday that “violent behaviour, by a thuggish minority, will not be tolerated,” saying 12 officers had been injured following rioting in Belfast on Wednesday. 16 people have been arrested in connection with the disorder.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told a press conference that “everyone with influence needs to do all in their power to get the thugs off our streets,” adding: “There can be peaceful protest. It is part of a democratic society. This bears no resemblance to that.”

“The current protesters are mostly from working-class areas, but they’re stoked by the richest people on this planet,” said Johanne Devlin Trew, a specialist in migration and diaspora who teaches at Belfast’s Ulster University. She said that while many people have sincerely held grievances about immigration, she also urged people to “look at the facts.”

Just 3.4% of people in Northern Ireland are from a minority ethnic group, compared with 18.3% in England and Wales, and 42% in the United States, according to figures from both governments.

“The facts are that in terms of migration to Northern Ireland it is punching well below what the UK average,” Trew said.

NBC News has reached out to Tesla and SpaceX for comment.