The world's richest man and Tesla (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk stated last Saturday that the UK needs a "revolutionary government change," calling for the UK to "dissolve Parliament" and "replace the government."
Over the weekend, a massive protest called "Unite the Kingdom" organized by far-right figure Tommy Robinson broke out in London, with more than 100,000 participants. The protest was set against the backdrop of rising nationalist sentiment in the UK and the surge of far-right parties in opinion polls. In addition, American conservative activist Charlie Kirk was murdered last week, and Robinson used this incident to mobilize supporters.
Protesters expressed demands regarding illegal immigration, national identity, and freedom of speech, and criticized the government's immigration policies. Clashes with police occurred during the protest, resulting in 26 police officers injured and at least 25 people arrested in a chaotic situation.
Musk appeared at the protest online. In a Q&A session with Robinson, he said: "The UK needs large-scale government reform, and power should be in the hands of the people, not indifferent bureaucratic institutions."
Musk addressed the crowd via a large screen livestream, saying: "Violence is coming for you. You either fight back or die." He said remotely: "What I am calling for is British common sense, to look around and seriously think: 'If this situation continues, what kind of world will you live in?'"
He also mentioned political activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed in the US last Wednesday, claiming that "leftists" were "openly" celebrating his death. Musk said: "The left is the party of murder, the party that celebrates murder."
These remarks come as US President Trump is about to make a state visit to the UK, while the UK's next general election is not due for another four years.
This is not the first time Musk has intervened in UK politics. He previously had a war of words with the UK government over the "kidnapping gang" issue and criticized the 2023 Online Safety Bill, claiming the legislation threatened freedom of speech. Last summer, the UK experienced a wave of violent anti-immigrant riots, during which Musk claimed that "civil war is inevitable." In January this year, when revisiting the child sexual abuse scandal in parts of the UK, he said that Prime Minister Starmer should be jailed.
Musk was once allied with Nigel Farage, leader of the populist "Reform UK" party. However, their friendship broke down earlier this year because Farage refused to echo Musk's support for Robinson.
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle said in a BBC interview last Sunday that Musk's remarks were "somewhat difficult to understand" and "completely inappropriate."
But Kyle added that the protest initiated by Robinson showed that those in power need to face up to the "big issues" that may exist among the public, including immigration. Kyle said: "I think these moments serve as a wake-up call for us politicians, reminding us that we must redouble our efforts to address the major concerns in the hearts of people across the country."
In addition to the UK, Musk has also frequently intervened in European political affairs, attracting widespread attention and controversy.
In Germany, before the Bundestag elections in February this year, Musk repeatedly publicly supported the far-right Alternative for Germany party, even stating during a livestream with party leader Weidel that "only AfD can save Germany," and called on German voters to vote for AfD. These remarks caused concern from then-German Chancellor Scholz, who believed they could have a negative impact on Germany's political stability.
In addition, Musk accused France of abusing its judicial system. At the end of March this year, Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally, was convicted of embezzling EU public funds, facing four years in prison and being barred from running for public office for five years. At the time, Musk accused France's "radical left" of abusing the judicial system to imprison opponents, a statement that drew criticism from several French officials, including President Macron.
The London Metropolitan Police stated that a total of 24 people were arrested and 26 police officers were injured, including 4 seriously, during Saturday's far-right protest. Injuries included broken teeth, suspected nasal fractures, concussions, herniated discs, and head injuries. Starmer posted on X on Sunday: "We will not tolerate attacks on police officers performing their duties, nor will we tolerate anyone feeling fear on the streets because of their origin or skin color."