Elon Musk says he is taking legal action against Germany’s ZDF
Elon Musk stated that he is taking legal action against one of Germany’s two major public-service broadcasters, ZDF. Recently, the broadcaster aired a program about violent riots in Northern Ireland targeting immigrants, with the anchor emphasizing Elon Musk’s inciting role in the events.
The world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk, announced he is taking legal action against Germany’s public broadcaster ZDF (Second German Television), calling its report “lies that are infuriating.”
In a report by ZDF on violent protests following anti-immigrant demonstrations in Northern Ireland, the presenter highlighted Elon Musk’s role as an instigator.
On Monday, June 15, Musk posted on X: “Taking legal action against ZDF due to their infuriating lies.”
Musk’s post
Last week, following a serious knife attack, violent riots erupted overnight in Northern Ireland. The suspect in the knife attack was a Sudanese immigrant accused of attempted murder.
Hundreds joined the violence on the streets of Belfast, shouting “Foreigners out!” and setting fire to cars, residential buildings, and shops.
These protests were incited by British far-right figures Tommy Robinson—whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Leon—and Rupert Lowe, founder of the “Restore Britain” movement.
Elon Musk shared their posts on his X account, which has 240 million followers.
“Only repeated, loud protests will bring change!” Musk added in one post on June 9, capitalizing both “repeated” and “loud” for emphasis.
ZDF’s coverage
Three days later, ZDF covered the riots in Northern Ireland during a 90-minute segment of its online news program, ZDFheute live.
The presenter began: “A brutal attempted murder occurred on the streets of Belfast. Footage was recorded and spread widely online. Following this, some racist mob members chased immigrants. The call to action came from a British right-wing extremist—and tech billionaire Elon Musk.”
A 28-second clip from the broadcast was shared on X by right-wing journalist Julian Reichelt, former editor-in-chief of Germany’s Bild newspaper, who was dismissed in 2021.
Reichelt also posted a screenshot on X, labeling it a statement from ZDF. He called for the “dissolution” of ZDF.
In this screenshot, ZDF appears to defend its reporting but acknowledged that the host’s wording was “inaccurate,” potentially leading to “misunderstanding.”
The statement read: “In the June 12, 2026 episode of ZDFheute live, in light of escalating violence in Belfast, the program examined the roles played by Elon Musk and right-wing internet influencers such as Robinson prior to the events. Robinson called for protests. Musk shared the call to protest.”
“The host’s opening remarks aimed to concisely summarize the complex situation involving the escalation of violence and prior calls to protest in a 30-minute program that was comprehensive, detailed, and carefully nuanced. However, the choice of words was inaccurate and may therefore lead to misunderstanding.”
German media outlets have reported similarly on ZDF’s statement.
ZDF is one of Germany’s two nationwide public-service television broadcasters, funded primarily through a mandatory television license fee paid by citizens.
Source: DW
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868177532862528/
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