GB News Presenter Denied Racist Violence in Belfast Was a ‘Riot’ and Claimed ‘Not a House Has Been Burnt Down’

A GB News presenter has denied the violent scenes in Belfast over recent days– which have seen masked men burning down the homes of migrants and ethnic minority people and terrorising their inhabitants – have been ‘riots’, insisting that “there was not a house that has been burnt down”.

Presenter Bev Turner made the claims around 2:30am on 10th June, the second night of racist rioting in Northern Ireland.

Turner claimed in a heated exchange with commentator Matthew Stadlen, that: “There weren’t people marauding through the streets with pitchforks”, “there aren’t bodies being piled up in hospitals”, “there was not a house that has been burnt down”, “when you use phrases like far right and riots, that is not what that is”, “there aren’t people in hospital”, and “there’s a few teenagers who have set alight vehicles”.

She added: “Don’t try to whip up the public into thinking there is civil war on the streets tonight.”

Commenting on the remarks, Richard Wilson, founder of Stop Funding Hate, told Byline Times: “GB News spent two days actively downplaying race riots that left families burned out of their homes. While houses were on fire in Belfast, a presenter told viewers there was ‘not a house that has been burnt down.’ That was completely untrue. Twenty-seven people were made homeless overnight. The First Minister of Northern Ireland condemned masked men burning families out of their homes.

“This is what GB News does. Just like with Southport in 2024, presenters and guests lined up to reframe racist mob violence as the understandable frustration of ordinary people let down by politicians. That misinformation has consequences. When a news channel with a broadcast licence tells its audience that riots are not really riots, it makes the next ones more likely.”

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Bev Turner’s Show, Early Hours of 10th June

Turner began her show by making clear: “Belfast is burning.”

“Belfast is burning tonight. Furious protesters have torched a bus and set fire to bins following outrage over that brutal knife attack that happened last night.”

However, Simon Heninson of US-founded think tank the Heritage Foundation described the scenes as: “Largely calm, I have to say. This appears – these flames that we’re seeing, these fires that have been set alight – haven’t been fortunately accompanied by lots of violence on the streets, which is testimony actually to the patience of the British people.”

Bev Turner went on to claim the rioters ‘wouldn’t even know the definition of far right’, suggesting that means they cannot be far right.

“I would absolutely argue that some of the total scallies that have set fire to cars and buses wouldn’t even know the definition of far right and probably wouldn’t even define themselves as particularly political.”

“Setting a wheelie bin on fire is not being far right. It’s being an idiot.”

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The Exchange with Matthew Stadlen – Full Sequence

While saying she doesn’t deny those taking part in the unrest were “deluded and hate-filled,” Turner went on to downplay the events.

Turner: “These skirmishes that we’ve seen in Belfast tonight – because they weren’t, they weren’t riots, they weren’t riots. There weren’t people marauding through the streets with pitchforks.”

Stadlen: “There was a house set on fire, Beverly. There was a house set on fire. We’ve seen numerous pictures of fires ablaze in Belfast. This is disgraceful, violent behaviour.”

Turner: “Exactly. You are saying people’s houses are burned down. I’m saying actually it isn’t that dramatic. There aren’t people – there aren’t bodies piled up in hospitals.”

Stadlen: “Someone’s house being burnt down in a riot is not that dramatic? What are you saying, Bev? What words are you allowing out of your mouth?”

Turner: “There was no riot. There was no riot. There is not a house that has been burnt down. There are no riots. The police aren’t even–”

Stadlen: “Did you not see the image of a house on fire in Belfast?”

Turner: “Yes, but – I’ve seen – that’s not that dramatic.”

Stadlen: “It’s pretty dramatic to me by definition.”

Turner: “That is – when you use phrases like far right and riots, that is not what that is…”

“I’m not calling it a riot because there aren’t people in hospital tonight because of what’s gone on there. There aren’t people in hospital. And I think you are precisely the problem – in that you are the problem, not people setting fire to their own thing. You are exaggerating. You have the temerity to call me the problem when I’m calling out violence on my show.”

Turner added to Stadlen: “There’s a few teenagers who have set alight vehicles and it has been a busy night for the police. And I am not diminishing the reaction. But don’t try to whip up the British public into thinking that there is civil war on the streets tonight.”