Musk's unrest posts not helpful at this time - police

Crowds gathered in Bordesley Green on Monday evening

Social media posts by X boss Elon Musk about "two-tier policing" were not helpful at this time of widespread disorder, West Midlands Police has said.

Supt Emlyn Richards rejected his claims over disturbances in Birmingham and said two-tier policing did not exist in the West Midlands.

Musk reacted to a video showing angry crowds of mainly Muslim men outside The Clumsy Swan in Yardley, where disorder took place on Monday evening. Communities minister Jim McMahon also rejected the claims.

Musk tagged Sir Keir Starmer in the post on Tuesday, questioning why all communities "weren't protected" in Britain, but the force hit back by stating they would "police without fear or favour".

The owner of X, Elon Musk, questioned why all communities were not protected in Britain

"What I would say in respect of two-tier policing, is it doesn't exist in the West Midlands," Superintendent Emlyn Richards said.

Musk made a string of comments on X following violent unrest in the UK.

He suggested that "civil war is inevitable" and the police response was "one-sided", however, a spokesperson for the prime minister said there was "no justification" for Mr Musk's comments.

West Midlands Police said that the posts by Musk were not helpful at this time, however, people had a right to express their opinions.

"This is a time for communities to unite and support each other," Mr Richards said.

He continued by saying that people's right to protest was respected, but protests needed to be lawful and peaceful.

"If people are involved in criminality, West Midlands Police will relentlessly pursue you and bring you to justice," he said.

"My plea to communities is to be extremely mindful of the incredibly harmful spreading of misinformation on social media at the current time," he added.

Communities minister Jim McMahon also rejected claims police are treating some groups more harshly than others amid days of disorder.

He told Times Radio he understood the narrative Musk and others were putting across when they talked about "two-tier" policing, in particular in relation to a counter-protest in Birmingham.