The tech billionaire appeared in front of the crowd by video link on Saturday afternoon and claimed “massive uncontrolled migration” was leading to the “destruction of Britain”.
Mr Musk said “violence is coming” and urged the crowd to “fight back or you die”.
When asked if he thought Mr Musk was trying to incite violence, UK business secretary Peter Kyle said the comments were “incomprehensible” and “inappropriate”.
“I thought that they were slightly incomprehensible comments that were totally inappropriate,” he said on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
“But what we saw yesterday was over 100,000 people who were expressing freedom of association, freedom of speech, and proving that both of those things are alive and well in this country.
“A small minority of people who are protesting committed acts of violence against our police, for which they should, and they will, be held accountable.”
.jpg)
Police officers confront supporters of British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, during a rally in London on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Monday, September 15
The Unite the Kingdom rally drew between 110,000 and 150,000 people.
The Metropolitan Police have reported that in scenes of “unacceptable violence”, 26 officers were injured and four were seriously hurt, resulting in 25 arrests.
People were arrested for a range of offences including affray, violent disorder, assault and criminal damage.
Three of the 25 people arrested were women, while the youngest and oldest people detained at the protest were aged 19 and 58 respectively, the Met said yesterday.
A number of people were arrested for more than one offence.
Musk doesn’t care about the British people or our rights
The force added officers were working to identify other people involved in disorder with a view to making further arrests “in the coming days and weeks”.
The Met said it was also investigating a video circulated on social media which appeared to show a protester saying: “Someone needs to shoot [prime minister] Keir Starmer.”
Mr Musk spoke on stage with Robinson in the afternoon, claiming the UK needed a “dissolution of parliament” and a “change of government”.
The comments were condemned by political leaders. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said that the billionaire “doesn’t care about the British people or our rights”.
The rally was met with counter-protests organised by Stand Up To Racism, which saw a turnout of around 5,000 people.
The police deployed 1,000 officers to prevent clashes.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said anyone “taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law”.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Starmer condemned the attacks against police and racist intimidation.
“Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division,” the prime minister said.