Media

GB News branded a ‘megaphone for extremism’ following riots

GB News has been branded a “megaphone for extremism” following outbreaks of violence on the streets of England.

Sir Keir Starmer has announced a national violent disorder programme will be launched across police forces after holding a meeting with police chiefs in the wake of unrest in parts of England after the Southport stabbings.

On Tuesday (30/7), violence erupted outside a mosque in the Merseyside town after thousands of people turned out to pay their respects to the victims at a vigil.

Some 53 police officers and three police dogs were injured in the riots, which spread to London on Wednesday, where more than 100 protesters were arrested as mobs marched on Whitehall.

Focus has turned to the role social media and broadcast media have played in fanning the flames, with GB News finding itself in the firing line for recent broadcasts on social media.

A recent live debate saw Michelle Dewberry ask why “white working-class Britons” taking to the streets to protest something they are passionate about has prompted a strong response from Number 10, ignoring the extent of the upheaval and the opportunistic nature of it.

A poll published on the site has also received significant attention, with the broadcaster asking whether the “Left elite” are to blame for the violence in Southport.

Otto English described the survey as “utterly reprehensible”, calling for a boycott of the channel for its role in fuelling hate.

Related: Elon Musk engages with Tommy Robinson as Starmer pledges clamp down on social media companies

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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