Laurence Fox had his Twitter account temporarily locked over the weekend for highly offensive and inappropriate online behaviour.
The former ‘Lewis’ actor, failed London mayoral candidate and founder of the ‘anti-woke’ Reclaim Party was temporarily banned from the social media platform on Monday (June 27) after changing his profile photo to Pride flags assembled in the shape of a swastika.
Twitter temporarily froze his account for violating their ‘hateful imagery’ policy.
The controversial right-wing figure made the move during Pride month, as the country celebrates 50 years of Pride in the UK, and just days after a shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Oslo, Norway killed two people and injured 20 others.
Needless to say, Twitter was fuming.
Caroline Russell, who is also a member of the Police and Crime Committee in the Greater London Authority, wrote on Twitter: ‘I hope the Met Police will look into Laurence Fox using pride flags to create nazi imagery and posting the images on a public platform.
‘This is a hate crime,’ Ms Russell wrote.
As a @LondonAssembly member and a member of the Police and Crime Committee I hope the Met police will look into Laurence Fox using pride flags to create nazi imagery and posting the images on a public platform. This is a hate crime. pic.twitter.com/Xhwgr69r8x
— Caroline Russell (@CarolineRussell) June 27, 2022
While trans broadcaster India Willoughby wrote: “The Tweets tonight from Laurence Fox are truly disgusting. More so coming 48 hours after the killings at an Oslo gay bar. In Pride month too. In some countries he’d go to jail for displaying a swastika. I hope @Twitterissue a permanent ban, and the @metpoliceuk prosecute”
The Tweets tonight from Laurence Fox are truly disgusting. More so coming 48 hours after the killings at an Oslo gay bar. In Pride month too. In some countries he’d go to jail for displaying a swastika. I hope @Twitter issue a permanent ban, and the @metpoliceuk prosecute pic.twitter.com/9N9z3hB2bk
— India Willoughby (@IndiaWilloughby) June 26, 2022
Holocaust Memoria Day Trust said: “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.”
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.— Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (@HMD_UK) June 27, 2022
Fox then made a same-day return to the platform once his account was reinstated and shared a screenshot of the Twitter ban, claiming: “You can openly call the [Union flag] a symbol of facism (sic) and totalitarianism on Tw*tter. You cannot criticise the holy flags.”
You can openly call the 🇬🇧 a symbol of facism and totalitarianism on Twatter. You cannot criticise the holy flags 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️. pic.twitter.com/goKvFHV7x2
— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) June 27, 2022
Much-loved British comedian Kathy Burke fiercely shut him down with a topical point about abortion, tweeting: “The existence of Lawrence Fox [sic] is another reason to be pro-abortion.”
The existence of Lawrence Fox is another reason to be pro abortion.
— Kath 🇺🇦💙🙀❄️🇪🇺✊🏾 (@KathyBurke) June 27, 2022
Clearly triggered by her comments, Fox tweeted back twice, in one accusing her of having an “empty, lonely and miserable soul”.
You used to be funny. https://t.co/vTA9N96K1L
— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) June 27, 2022
A message for @KathyBurke who wishes i had been aborted. You have dishonoured my mother. The only encouraging thing i can say is that my mum would have loved you anyway. She had class, compassion and talent, you see. You have none. You have an empty, lonely and miserable soul. https://t.co/cac86Il8yT
— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) June 27, 2022
In May, Fox was forced to pay more than £36,000 in legal fees to three people he referred to as ‘paedophiles’ on Twitter.
The actor was ordered to pay the fees after losing his bid for a jury to hear his High Court libel battle.
Fox was sued by Stonewall trustee Simon Blake, Coronation Street actress Nicola Thorp and Drag Race UK star Crystal, following the online row in October 2020.
Read more about all of that here.
More twitter reactions to Fox’s post below:
Hi @GBNEWS . Do you think it’s acceptable one of your employees is laughing at a Swastika made from the pride flag just a couple of days after 2 people were killed in Oslo in a gun attack on a Gay Bar? pic.twitter.com/XTNKtWb4eU
— ChrisVelvick WW11 Veteran 🔶🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@VelvickChris) June 26, 2022
I realise you have a lot of time on your hands now that your shit acting career has dried up but maybe get a hobby that isn’t taking out all that resentment on better people just trying to live their lives
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 26, 2022
Laurence Fox (who was Morse's sidekick's sidekick) threw away his marriage, distanced himself from his kids and ended a fledging acting career to try to become a very right wing politician – but got about 14 votes in the whole of London.
Now he's toying with Nazi iconography pic.twitter.com/VqjZPgdcTf— Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) June 26, 2022
In the week people were murdered in an Oslo gay club and during Pride Month, Darren Grimes publicly laughs at Laurence Fox and Martin Daubney’s vile desecration of the LGBT flag.
And he identifies as gay. Think about that… pic.twitter.com/Pgfcjq5di3— Simon London (@slondonuk) June 26, 2022