An analysis by the Guardian has revealed that over half of the X accounts posting about the rioting in Belfast and civil disorder in Southampton in June 2026 were based outside the UK. Of the 8,672 accounts whose posts about these events exceeded 1,000 views, 45.3% were shown as being from the UK, based on the social media platform's location function.
The analysis found that 16.8% of these accounts were from the US, 4.5% from Ireland, and approximately a quarter from other European countries. Seven of the 12 most-read posts concerning Belfast and Southampton originated from the US, including one from Elon Musk and two from US "alt-right" commentators. An eighth post was linked to North America.
Almost a third of the 43,000 posts on X related to these incidents contained racist or anti-immigration comments. Additionally, nearly one in 10 posts about Belfast included calls for violence or paramilitary or vigilante action.
Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, stated that the data indicates X has become "a weapon of choice" for hostile foreign actors aiming to manipulate divisive content. Dr Julia Ebner, a researcher at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and the University of Oxford, noted that such flashpoint episodes are becoming "strategic events" for far-right actors seeking to exploit them.