Mayor is victim of social media death threats
The Mayor of the Brussels municipality of Sint-Joost-ten-Node Emir Kir (Francophone socialist) is to lodge a complaint with the police for incitement to violence and online threats. Mr Kir made clear his intentions in a statement released on Monday evening.
In his press statement Mr Kir speaks of a “wave of hate on social media” since he received a visit from a group of Turkish Mayors. Mr Kir has Turkish roots himself and Sint-Joost-ten-Node has a sizable Turkish community. Two of the Mayors that visited Sint-Joost-ten-Node are members of the MHP, a nationalist party that is branded as being far-right and is said to have links with the Grey Wolves.
One Facebook post in particular is said to have moved Mr Kir to lodge a complaint. The post is reported to have contained a threat to Mr Kir’s life.
Kir is to ask the police to “approach the Judicial Authorities to open an investigation”. The Mayor also intends to ask Facebook to take the hate posts that he has received off-line.