Billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, on Saturday called for a “revolutionary government change” in the United Kingdom while speaking virtually at a far-right anti-immigration rally in London.
The Tesla boss and world’s richest man made his remarks just days before the U.S. president’s planned state visit to Britain, despite the fact that the next UK general election is still four years away.
“There needs to be massive government reform in Britain and the people need to be in charge, not some bureaucracy that doesn’t care,” Musk declared during a Q&A session with rally organizer Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
“We must have revolutionary government change… This really requires everyone to sort of marshal the people, to take charge, reform the government, and make sure that you actually have a government that is for the people, by the people,” he added.
Musk has increasingly injected himself into British politics. Last year, amid violent anti-immigration riots, he warned that “civil war is inevitable.” Earlier this year, he suggested Prime Minister Keir Starmer “should be in prison” while resurfacing old scandals linked to child sex abuse in England.
The billionaire had previously aligned with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, but the alliance collapsed when Farage declined to support Musk’s defense of Robinson, the founder of the now-defunct English Defence League.
Robinson, once jailed for contempt of court after spreading false allegations about a Syrian refugee, remains a divisive figure in the UK.
Musk’s rhetoric on Saturday grew even sharper. Speaking to the crowd via livestream, he warned, “violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.” He also cited the killing of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week, claiming “people on the left” were celebrating the death.
“The left is the party of murder and celebrating murder,” Musk told demonstrators.
The event drew an estimated 110,000 to 150,000 protesters, according to police. Britain’s Business Secretary Peter Kyle described Musk’s appearance as “slightly incomprehensible” and “totally inappropriate,” but said the size of the protest signaled that leaders must respond to public anxieties, particularly around immigration.
“I think these are moments that are klaxon calls to us in public life to redouble our efforts to address the big concerns that people right across our country have,” Kyle told the BBC, while adding that the protest also showed free speech was “alive and well in this country.”
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that 24 arrests were made during the demonstration and reported 26 injured officers, four of them seriously. Injuries included broken teeth, a suspected broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc, and a head wound.
In response, Prime Minister Starmer condemned the violence, writing on X, “We will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the color of their skin.”
“Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect. Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division,” he added.
