‘Veep’ Creator Armando Iannucci Takes Aim at Elon Musk After Anti-Racism Rallies Quash U.K. Riots

‘Veep’ Creator Armando Iannucci Takes Aim at Elon Musk After Anti-Racism Rallies Quash U.K. Riots

As a long-time fan of Armando Iannucci‘s brilliant and insightful work, it is heartening to see him speak out against the dangerous and divisive actions of Elon Musk. Iannucci, with his deep understanding of politics and society, has always been a master at satirizing the absurdities of power structures and the people who manipulate them for their own gain.


Armando Iannucci, the mind behind “Veep”, is firing back at tech entrepreneur Elon Musk following allegations that he inflamed the flames of extremist groups on the U.K.’s far right. This escalation has resulted in nights of chaos, including riots, looting, and property damage.

On Wednesday, authorities anticipate more than 100 anti-immigration protests taking place nationwide, with approximately 6,000 riot police on standby. Employees at Sky’s west London office received instructions to work from home or finish early due to a demonstration scheduled in nearby Brentford.

In response to escalating tensions, anti-racism demonstrations swept through various cities in Britain, including Brighton, Walthamstow, Liverpool, Oxford, and Bristol. Crowds of people flooded the streets, displaying banners that read “Refugees are welcome here” and “Hate has no place here”. Although a few severe incidents transpired, overall, it was a tranquil evening.

The head of the London Metropolitan Police, responsible for policing the city, declared last night as “a triumphant one.” He stated that by deploying numerous officers throughout the streets, and with the combined effort from the police and the communities, they collectively overcame the obstacles that arose. This was shared during an interview with the BBC by Mark Rowley.

The disturbance started following the stabbings of three teenage girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in Southport, England on July 29th. However, rumors spread on social media that the perpetrator, later identified as Axel Rudakubana who is 17 years old, was an asylum applicant. Contrary to these claims, Rudakubana, whose parents hail from Rwanda but he himself was born in Wales and holds British nationality, was not seeking asylum.

In this situation, minorities, particularly those within the Muslim community, have been subjected to violent attacks. Approximately 400 individuals have been apprehended by authorities. The U.K.’s Prime Minister has vowed that those responsible will encounter strict legal consequences, emphasizing further that such acts of aggression against mosques and Muslim communities will not be tolerated.

However, Elon Musk seemingly stirred up the turmoil, as he allowed misinformation to proliferate swiftly on his platform, previously known as Twitter. Some British left-wing politicians have initiated discussions about banning this platform following Musk’s response to a Liverpool riot post, stating that “civil war is inevitable.”

When the mosque in Southport was targeted during hate crimes against Muslims, Musk countered Starmer’s statement about safeguarding Muslim neighborhoods by saying, “Aren’t all communities deserving of your concern regarding these attacks?”

Armando Iannucci, a screenwriter and producer from Glasgow known for his satirical work like “The Thick of It,” has spoken out about Elon Musk’s posts. In response to pictures showing anti-racism protests, he encouraged people to share the message: “Civil society, not civil war.” He used the hashtag “#Elon” in his post, hoping it would be widely shared.

You seeing this, @ElonMusk?

— Armando Iannucci (@Aiannucci) August 7, 2024

As a gamer, I recently shared another post featuring a group of right-wing protesters encompassed by hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, asking Elon Musk to take a look with the caption, “Elon, have you seen this?” Earlier in the week, I had expressed my thoughts to him about how he’s unaware of the true nature of our country, likening it to Mars – toxic and void. So far, Musk has yet to respond.

The Prime Minister attributed the escalation following the stabbings to social media. He stated, “I would like to address large social media corporations and their operators: it’s clear that violent chaos was stirred up on your platforms. This is not only unacceptable behavior; it’s also a criminal act. It’s taking place under your roof, and the law must be enforced everywhere.”

Iannucci told The Hollywood Reporter in July that his X feed has become “full of weirdness”.

Iannucci noted that some individuals generate a great deal of commotion, which we find important, leading us to assume they have a substantial fanbase. However, this is not always true; they simply excel at being loud. Let’s not be deceived by their loudness alone because we hear them at maximum volume.

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2024-08-08 13:24