Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman leads celebrities and politicians in Twitter ‘walkout’


Tracy-Ann Oberman is leading celebrities and politicians in calling out Twitter over its alleged relaxed response to anti-Semitic posts.

The former EastEnders star is one of thousands of users to throw their weight behind a 48-hour ‘walkout’ of the social media giant – ramping up pressure on bosses to remove posts inciting hatred against the Jewish community. 

Writing on the platform as the boycott began at 9am, she said: ‘And we’re out. #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate. #48HoursSilence. @Twitter sort your site out.’

Lord Sugar, TV presenter Rachel Riley, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy, Gary Lineker and Britain’s chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis have backed the campaign, alongside thousands of others. 

Home Secretary Priti Patel slammed Twitter yesterday after it took 12 hours to remove anti-Semitic posts from rapper Wiley, and said it needed to act faster to delete ‘appalling hatred’. 

The 41-year-old, real name Richard Cowie, is facing a police probe over posts which asserted that Jews are systematically exploiting Black artists in the music industry, and likening them to the Ku Klux Klan. He has also been dropped by his management.

There have been demands to strip the rapper of his MBE for ‘spewing anti-Semitic venom’ which has ‘no evidence whatsoever’, led by the group Campaign Against Anti-Semitism.  

‘Jewish people don’t care what black went through they just use us to make money to feed their kids… for generations as well,’ he wrote on Twitter and Facebook-owned Instagram. ‘Hold some corn Jewish community you deserve it…’

Britain’s chief rabbi accused Twitter and Facebook of lacking ‘responsible leadership’ this morning.

Twitter has previously said ‘abuse and harassment’ have ‘no place’ on its service. Facebook, which owns Instagram, said there was ‘no place for hate speech’ on the platform. Both have suspended his account for seven days. 

Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman called for action to stop Twitter allowing hate speech on its platform. She has been joined by thousands including celebrities and politicians

The former EastEnders actress joined the campaign to call Twitter out after it took more than 12 hours for posts by Wiley to be removed

They asserted Jews are systematically exploiting Black artists in the music industry. He is pictured receiving his MBE

The former EastEnders actress (left) joined the campaign to call Twitter out after it took more than 12 hours for posts by Wiley to be removed. They asserted Jews are systematically exploiting Black artists in the music industry

What is the Twitter boycott? Which celebrities have joined?

The Twitter boycott saw thousands of politicians, celebrities and others walk out of the platform for 48 hours from 9am GMT.

They are taking the action to highlight the platform’s inaction against anti-Semitic posts.

Rapper Wiley’s posts attacking the Jewish community remained up for more than 12 hours.

Below is a list of celebrities and politicians that have joined:

Tracy-Ann Oberman, actress

Lord Alan Sugar, entrepreneur

Ayesha Hazarika, Editor

Rachel Riley, TV presenter

Labour Against Anti-Semitism

Ephraim Mirvis, Britain’s chief rabbi 

Lisa Nandy, MP and shadow foreign secretary 

Stella Creasy, Labour MP 

And thousands of others 

Oberman, who has appeared on hit shows including Friday Night Dinner, Doctor Who, and the Tracey Ullman show, thanked friends for joining the boycott before she stepped away from the platform for 24 hours. 

She also accused Twitter of manually trying to remove the hashtag #NoSafePlaceForJewHate.

‘Interesting @twitter has tried to MANUALLY stop the hashtag #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate by removing it from trending at #2 globally.

‘Perfect example @jack of your site being prejudiced. #Stopit. #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate. Thanks for altering it whoever just did at @twitter HQ keep the tag.’

Celebrities and politicians also joining the boycott include Editor Ayesha Hazarika, Labour MP Stella Creasy and Conservative MP Brendan Clarke-Smith. 

The official Labour party account has also tweeted its support but said that as the official opposition it is its duty to hold the government to account and it ‘cannot afford to be absent on social media platforms’.

Labour Against Anti-Semitism is taking part in the walkout in ‘protest at Twitter’s repeated failure to tackle anti-Semitism on the platform’.

The Jewish Chronicle is also supporting the campaign, posting: ‘We are now saying #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate and walking out of Twitter until 9am UK time on Wednesday.’ 

Britain’s Chief Rabbi has written to Twitter boss Jack Dorsey and Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg saying: ‘This cannot be allowed to stand. Your inaction amounts to complicity.’

Slamming Twitter, Priti Patel said yesterday: ‘The anti-Semitic posts from Wiley are abhorrent.’

‘They should not have been able to remain on Twitter and Instagram for so long and I have asked them for a full explanation.

‘Social media companies must act much faster to remove such appalling hatred from their platforms.’

The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism has called for Wiley to be prosecuted for inciting racial hatred, for his MBE to be revoked, and for Twitter and Instagram to delete his accounts.

‘Wiley has spent today engaged in an escalating rant which has culminated in calls for Jews to be shot and for black people to go to “war” against them,’ they said yesterday.

‘After a day spent likening Jews to the Ku Klux Klan and claiming that Jews had cheated him and were “snakes”, Wiley tweeted that Jews should “hold some corn”.

‘This is a slang expression meaning they should be shot. He added: “Jewish community you deserve it”.’

They added: ‘Wiley has many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and we have seen today that a significant number of them truly believe the unhinged hatred that he is spreading.

‘We are treating this as a very serious matter which must be met with the firmest of responses.’   

In one rant, Wiley said: Listen to me Jewish community Israel is not your country I’m sorry… The Star of David that’s our ting… Some people have gotten too comfortable on lands that don’t belong to them.’

Later, he wrote: ‘There are 2 sets of people who nobody has really wanted to challenge #Jewish & #KKK but being in business for 20 years you start to undestand [sic] why… Red Necks Are the KKK and Jewish people are the Law… Work that out.’

He added: ‘If you work for a company owned by 2 Jewish men and you challenge the Jewish community in anyway [sic] of course you will get fired.’ 

A number of Wiley’s posts have now been removed from Twitter, and he has been barred from the platform for seven days.

A spokesman for Facebook, which owns Instagram, said there was ‘no place for hate speech on Instagram’.

Wiley's twitter page today. Many tweets have been blocked but the account has not been suspended

Wiley’s twitter page today. Many tweets have been blocked but the account has not been suspended

Writing on Twitter yesterday Ms Patel said: 'The antisemitic posts from Wiley are abhorrent'

Writing on Twitter yesterday Ms Patel said: ‘The antisemitic posts from Wiley are abhorrent’

Wiley made a series of outlandish claims on his twitter feed which resulted in complaints

Wiley made a series of outlandish claims on his twitter feed which resulted in complaints

In one tweet, he compares the Jewish people to the Ku Klux Klan (pictured)

In one tweet, he compares the Jewish people to the Ku Klux Klan (pictured)

The singer's manager John Woolf completely disassociated himself with his client's messages. He told MailOnline: ''To be very clear here. I do not support or condone what Wiley has said today online in any way shape or form. I am a proud Jewish man and I am deeply shocked and saddened but what he has chosen to say. I am speaking to key figures in my community in light of today's tweets. This behaviour and hateful speech is not acceptable to me'

The singer’s manager John Woolf completely disassociated himself with his client’s messages. He told MailOnline: ”To be very clear here. I do not support or condone what Wiley has said today online in any way shape or form. I am a proud Jewish man and I am deeply shocked and saddened but what he has chosen to say. I am speaking to key figures in my community in light of today’s tweets. This behaviour and hateful speech is not acceptable to me’

Twitter and Facebook have both previously been accused of not doing enough to stop the spread of hate speech and harmful content on their platforms.

New regulation to better hold online companies to account is currently being prepared by the Government.