German public broadcaster ZDF removed a segment of its news‑magazine programme that said Elon Musk had urged perpetrators to hunt migrants in Northern Ireland. The broadcaster said the wording was "misleading" after Musk’s office demanded a cease‑and‑desist through a German law firm. The clip was taken from a ZDFheute Live episode that covered the knife attack near a Belfast street in mid‑June and the subsequent unrest.
Details of the incident read that the headline described a brutal attempt at murder on a public street, followed by a video that went viral and a call for a racist mob to hunt migrants. The wording linked the call to a British far‑right activist known as Tommy Robinson and also implicated Musk. The presenter later clarified the context; the original text had omitted the distinction that the call was made by Robinson, not Musk.
Follows the knife attack, a Sudanese man was arrested and charged with attempted murder, while the victim suffered serious injuries and lost a left eye. The incident sparked fires in homes and vehicles, escalating tensions in Belfast.
The defence Tony Dove, a German journalist, announced that the presenting sentence was removed, and a corrective notice was added. ZDF pledged to remove the intro entirely if the content could not be re‑phrased without misrepresentation.
The controversy aligns with emerging criticism of Musk’s role on social media. Russia‑based agencies have reported that Musk’s posts may have amplified anti‑migrant opinions that reached millions of users.
