Wiley: Rapper abuses Jewish critics on Facebook

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BBC News

After an anti-Semitic tirade that prompted a Twitter boycott, rapper Wiley has written abusive posts aimed at his Jewish critics on Facebook.

The grime artist posted on his personal Facebook page under his name Richard Kylea Cowie, the BBC has discovered.

He specifically named Jewish celebrities – including Lord Alan Sugar, comedian David Baddiel and BBC presenter Emma Barnett.

Facebook says it is investigating. The BBC has contacted Wiley for comment.

The posts aim abuse at Jewish celebrities who had expressed their dismay about Wiley’s tweets and also mention “Golders Green” – a London neighbourhood with a large Jewish community.

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Facebook

Posts include: “Listen Golders Green ring my sister and let’s meet asap”; “David Baddiel come and talk to my face”; and “Who called the police? Are you from Golders Green? I am coming to sit down with you… Labyrinth you could come along as you have forgotten what colour you are.”

A number of comments on the posts also include anti-Semitic abuse.

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The latest comments were shared on Wiley’s personal Facebook profile, rather than his official page. Although they have had relatively little engagement – less than 100 likes and comments each – they are visible to the public.

Several of Wiley’s tweets were taken down and his Twitter account was temporarily suspended after he went on an anti-Semitic tirade on Friday. One tweet read: “I don’t care about Hitler, I care about black people”, and compared the Jewish community to the Klu Klux Klan. Most of the posts spread anti-Semitic tropes.

He also had a number of posts deleted by Instagram, but his accounts are still live.

A number of prominent users called for a 48-hour boycott of Twitter which began Monday, saying that the social network did not take action quickly enough and should have permanently banned Riley.