Labour are going to be a **** show
Jess Phillips has been accused of “making excuses for masked men shouting, abusing and intimidating members of the media”, after gangs of men in balaclavas turned out in Birmingham on Monday night.
Former home secretary James Cleverly called for the home office minister to “think about the consequences” of her words after the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley tweeted about violent scenes in her constituency.
Large groups of men, some sporting Palestinian flags, gathered outside a mosque in the Bordesley Green area after rumours circulated that the far right were planning on targeting it.
Footage later in the evening showed a number of incidents involving the masked men, some attacking passing cars and in another incident setting upon a man outside a pub.
A Sky News van was attacked by a man with a knife as the TV crew attempted to leave the area after being told they were not welcome, reporter Becky Johnson later said. Ms Johnson was interrupted by a protester on a motorbike who swore and made rude gestures at the camera while attempting to deliver a live report in Birmingham.
Ms Phillips suggested that the rumours of the far right gathering had been deliberately spread in a bid to cause trouble.
“To be clear, all day rumours have been spread that a far right group were coming and it was done entirely to get Muslim people out on the street to drive this content”, the home office minister tweeted. “It is misinformation being spread to create trouble.”
Responding to a second clip of a man in a balaclava swearing at the reporter, Ms Phillips said: “These people came to this location because it has been spread
that racists were coming to attack them. This misinformation was spread entirely to create this content.”
Mr Cleverly criticised her for the comments, writing on social media: “Home Office ministers should not be making excuses for masked men shouting, abusing, and intimidating members of the media.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...d=BingNewsSerp