Two men have been arrested after racist and Islamophobic videos were shared on social media in wake of recent terror attacks.
Merseyside Police said a 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence after a video of him brandishing a machete while wearing a fake grenade was shared on Facebook.
The footage showed him making racist comments in which he threatened to blow up mosques. The video, which appears to have been filmed in a kitchen, shows the man reaching for a machete and smiling. He then goes on to detail how he would kill and maim followers of Islam.
The threats seem to be in response to the Manchester arena suicide bombing on May 22 which killed 22 people.
The man subsequently said the rant came after his drink had been spiked with drugs and insisted he did not hold the views expressed in the clip. He admitted the video looked “disgusting” and apologised to anyone who had been offended by its content.
Offering a public apology, he said: “It is shocking, it is disgusting and I’m totally ashamed of what I’ve done. I’m not a racist. I had been spiked with drugs and now my life is in tatters. I’m not a racist, far from it. I’m awfully sorry and I did not put the video online and I don’t know who did. I would like to apologise to the whole Muslim community. It was just a stupid video. I do not hold views like that and what I said on that video was not me – I was intoxicated.”
Meanwhile, a second 39-year-old man was arrested in connection with a separate video.
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The video shows a man in an Everton shirt making comments about recent terrorist attacks and threatening “to take every Muslim out of Knowsley.”
The video also includes racist comments about Asian people, anti-Semitic remarks and abuse aimed at people who defend Muslims.
Both men have been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and have been taken to police stations for questioning by detectives.
