Laurence Fox - Troll of the Month
Actor and political activist Laurence Fox had his Twitter account temporarily suspended, due to sharing an image of 4 Pride Flags displayed as the Nazi swastika, which is still used by neo-Nazi groups.
Several campaigns, organisations and Twitter users reacted immediately.
In a tweet, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote: 'Displaying pride flags in the shape of a swastika is not the edgy statement that you think it is. It is possible to express a view without the hate, and without insulting those murdered by the Nazis, which included Jews and LGBT people.'
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust stated: 'We are appalled to see Laurence Fox's vile tweet this morning with abhorrent use of the swastika. Gay men experienced untold suffering under the Nazis, including murder, castration, and medical experimentation.'
Anne Frank’s Trust also issued a statement:
‘Laurence Fox’s tweet arranged in the shape of swastikas is extremely offensive. (…) We believe it is possible to express differences of opinion in a way that does not promote hate.’
After being reinstated Laurence Fox tweeted: ‘You can openly call the [union jack] a symbol of facism [sic] and totalitarianism on Twatter. You cannot criticise the holy flags’.
In response to the criticism from NGOs he tweeted: ‘Let's not forget the six million jews they also killed, and the hundred million murdered in the name of Diversity, equity and inclusion (current incarnation of communism) since 1917. Also, please take off the "T" from LGB Homosexuals fought hard for their civil rights.’
Fox’s responses to the criticism he received, not only relativise the Holocaust, but also the suffering of the victims of Soviet repressions, doubling-down to justify his actions.
A long history of online provocations
It is not the first time Mr Fox, ex actor turned anti-woke activist and pro free-speech, failed politician, sparked controversy to gain traction. Fox has a history of sharing religious-based hate speech online but also attacking other ‘woke’ ideas, as he frames it. One example of such speech is the spread of Islamophobic conspiracy theories during his mayoral bid in 2021, competing against London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, who is of Muslim belief. During his attacks on Khan he even adapted one of the oldest antisemitic tropes about ‘the enemy within’.
During another incident, in an interview for the Independent, he attacked Black Lives Matter, describing the movement as a ‘divisive anti-Western hell’.
He was also forced to apologise to Sam Mendes after criticising his choice to cast a Sikh soldier in his movie 1917, which was pointed out by historians as accurate.
In an opinion piece written for The Independent, Sean O’Grady summed up Fox’s performative, hateful style as mostly to sustain his political career: ‘(…) he is a politician leading an extremely small political party that needs to raise its profile (...). Not many people have heard of him, and even fewer have heard of his party – fewer still know what it stands for. Which is how it should stay.’
Owen Jones from the Guardian summed up Mr Fox’s activities in a tweet: ‘He's a D-list actor who's turned this "I am being silenced!!" schtick into numerous lucrative media appearances and a Patreon so his comfortable lifestyle can be subsidised by the terminally gullible.’
What is the right answer to Laurence Fox?
Public figures should always pay special attention to the messages they present, as all their statements have a ripple effect in the social sphere. The more drama and outrage Fox creates, the more his online following grows, which leads to more support for his political endeavours. While it is necessary to condemn his actions, it is also important not to give him more publicity than he deserves, which judging from his resume, should be none at all.
