Manchester Bombing: Fox News Regular Geraldo Rivera Calls City 'Hotbed Of Islamic Radicals'

'You don't know Manchester.'
LOADINGERROR LOADING

A Fox News regular has carried on the network’s tradition of fundamentally misunderstanding the UK with a series of tweets sent in the aftermath of the suicide attack in Manchester last night.

Geraldo Rivera is a 73-year-old reporter, attorney and author from New York who often appears as a commentator on the channel.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning as details emerged of the attack that has killed at least 22 people, he tweeted:

If #ManchesterBombing is terror, location not unexpected. City is hotbed of #RadicalIslamicTerrorism incl 16 ISIS recruits killed or caught

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) May 22, 2017

Many terrorists arrested in mowing down of pedestrians outside Westminster London in March were from #Manchester hotbed of Islamic radicals

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) May 22, 2017

The tweet caused outrage in the UK for two reasons, the first of which was beautifully summed up by one Glenn Kitson.

Manchester Muslim doctors working through the night, Manchester Muslim taxi drivers taking people home for free. You don't know Manchester. https://t.co/C8yXe7u0jw

— Glenn Kitson (@Glenn_Kitson) May 23, 2017

Additionally, Rivera also got his basic facts wrong - of the 12 people arrested in the wake of the Westminster attack, three were from Manchester.

Geraldo Rivera.
Geraldo Rivera.
Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

All 12 people were later released without charge.

The attacker himself, Khalid Masood, lived in Kent.

@roybragg @madunclegenghis @GeraldoRivera It's even more of a lie because the terrorist in London came from Kent. Manchester to Kent is like Montana to Georgia compared.

— Simon Miller🇪🇺 (@thisisasimon) May 23, 2017

As for the “16 ISIS recruits killed or caught”, it is not clear what Rivera is referring to.

There have been incidents of people being arrested at Manchester Airport on suspicion of terrorism but no terror suspects have been killed in the city.

@GeraldoRivera As someone tweeting from Manchester right now, I can conform that this is a massive, massive lie.

— Matt AVFC (@everysongsung) May 23, 2017

Rivera’s attempt at being an expert on British affairs was met with scorn.

@GeraldoRivera No. The city is a hotbed of bad Britpop, Boddingtons and a whole beautiful mile of curry. You should visit and learn about multiculturalism.

— shit ldn bird blog (@will_i_am_s_) May 23, 2017

@GeraldoRivera Have you even been to Manchester?
Because it's a vibrant place with culture, great food, football and music.
Nothing like you describe.

— James Scantlebury (@turini2) May 23, 2017

@GeraldoRivera Shut your fucking mouth.

— Powles (@MattPowles) May 23, 2017

But this didn’t stop him adding to his commentary.

#Manchester kids formerly into gangs and guns are now being recruited, converted & radicalized by Islamofascist preachers of hate

— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) May 22, 2017

Fox News has a habit of propagating unchecked assertions about Britain and terrorism.

Most infamously, in 2015 “expert” Steven Emerson claimed with absolutely no evidence to back it up that Birmingham was a Muslim-only city.

Thank you, internet. Job well done. #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/ztE6EIl9Qi

— Rob Ford (@robfordmancs) January 11, 2015

More recently the network has successfully shown a right-wing, almost hysterical tone by regularly featuring Nigel Farage and Katie Hopkins.

In the wake of the Westminster terror attack Hopkins insisted that the British people were “cowed” and “afraid”, much to the consternation of many.

.@KTHopkins on UK terror: "People are cowed. People are afraid. And people are not united." #Tucker pic.twitter.com/QNFr4cY996

— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 23, 2017

I'm not, you gobshite https://t.co/qPyg0aICh5

— Al Murray the318 (@almurray) March 23, 2017

Hopkins landed herself in hot water this morning for calling for a “final solution” to the problem of terrorism, echoing the Nazi’s genocide of the Jews during World War 2.

Twitter

The tweet was swiftly deleted and replaced with a less loaded phrase.

22 dead - number rising. Schofield. Don't you even dare. Do not be part of the problem. We need a true solution. #ManchesterArena

— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) May 23, 2017

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:

  • 22 people are dead and 59 injured in a suicide attack at a pop concert at Manchester Arena.
  • Children are known to be amongst those killed.
  • The explosion is being treated as a terrorist incident by police
  • The lone male attacker, who died in the blast, was carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated.
  • It is not known if he was acting alone or as part of a larger network and has not been identified
  • The blast took place in the foyer area as a concert by US star Ariana Grande finished at around 10:30pm.
  • The identities of those killed or injured have not been confirmed, and no arrests have been made
  • Footage from the arena show scenes of chaos and confusion.
  • Theresa May will chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee at 9am.
  • All General Election campaigning has been suspended.
  • Travel services in Manchester have been disrupted.

Greater Manchester Police has set up an emergency helpline to help those trying to find missing friends or relatives on 0161 856 9400.

Close

What's Hot