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  "path": "/2026/06/10/social-media-encouraged-destruction-belfast-riots-28717408/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-10T05:55:50.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "UK",
    "Belfast",
    "Elon Musk",
    "Immigration",
    "Northern Ireland",
    "Reform UK",
    "Tommy Robinson",
    "social media",
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    "phones",
    "London",
    "Brooke Davies was on the scene",
    "FOLLOW THE LATEST FROM BELFAST IN OUR LIVE BLOG",
    "check our news page",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "Tommy Robinson shared this image of men clad in black marching in Belfast (Picture: X/Tommy Robinson)\n\nScenes of destruction in Belfast yesterday evening were broadcast around the world, in part because of the sowing of discontent on social media.\n\nEven the world’s richest man stirred up anger by resharing multiple politically-charged posts.\n\nMusk posted: ‘Only by protesting repeatedly and loudly will there be any change!’\n\nHe also previously reposted a video of him saying, ‘You either fight back or you die’, with the words: ‘That’s what it comes down to.’\n\nEven as political leaders urged calm while homes and vehicles burned across Belfast, Musk replied to Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, and used the opportunity to endorse the party.\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nHours before the riots began, Musk reposted a tweet from Tommy Robinson, who shared a list of protests in Northern Ireland and England.\n\nMusk added to his post: ‘Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change.’\n\nMusk reposted statements from Restore UK politicians (Picture: X)\n\nTommy Robinson reshared posts urging people not to film any rioting (Picture: X)\n\nTommy Robinson, meanwhile, who organised dozens of protests around the UK after the brutal attack in Ireland, shared updates from Belfast.\n\nAt one point, he shared a clip of a local store on fire, claiming: ‘Foreign businesses are being destroyed in Belfast.’\n\nRobinson also claimed the homes burned in Belfast were all HMOs, or House in Multiple Occupation, meaning multiple people live in the property. Robinson has previously said that HMOs are partially to blame for asylum seeker housing.\n\nRobinson, who has previously spearheaded far-right movements across the UK, also reshared one X post which urged protesters to leave phones at home.\n\n‘Technology and recording devices… don’t help anyone, this is saving our country not for the powers to use it against patriots and shaft us,’ the account claimed.\n\nThe world’s richest man shared his thoughts on the matter and urged people to protest ‘repeatedly and LOUDLY’ (Picture: AP)\n\nSome people were forced to flee their homes, and multiple cars and homes were set alight in the disorder on Tuesday, which followed Monday’s knife attack in the north of the city.\n\nThe 30-year-old accused, who is Sudanese, is also charged with possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill.\n\nHe is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court later on Wednesday.\n\nFollowing widespread condemnation of the incident, anti-immigration demonstrations took place across Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening, with a number descending into disorder.\n\nIn London, supporters of Robinson gathered in Parliament Square to protest the killing of Henry Novak and the attack in Belfast.\n\nFamilies were forced to flee their homes as they were set alight (Picture: PA)\n\n**Metro** reporter Brooke Davies was on the scene and saw what began as 50 people flimsily waving the Union Flag suddenly turn into a much more aggressive scene as far-right protesters charged into the road, setting off red smoke flares.\n\nZahra Ali and Monday Rosenfeld, two girls who had just attended a pro-Palestine march, were swarmed.\n\nFOLLOW THE LATEST FROM BELFAST IN OUR LIVE BLOG\n\nMonday, 23, told **Metro** : ‘I have genuinely never seen anything like this before. That was some of the worst abuse I have ever heard.’\n\nMen, claiming they were there to ‘protect our women and girls’, told her they were going to take her away, drown her and behead her.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "How social media encouraged destruction in the Belfast riots"
}