But Facebook defends decision not to suspend far-right extremist, saying he did not ‘incite’ rape

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The far-right extremist Blair Cottrell has posted on Facebook and Twitter about hypothetically raping staff members at Sky News following his weekend interview on the network.

Facebook has not disabled his account, but his Twitter account was disabled for one week on Tuesday night for violating Twitter rules, according to a post on his Facebook account.

A video excerpt of his interview on Sky News on Sunday night, conducted by the former Northern Territory chief minister Adam Giles, has been removed from Facebook and Twitter after complaints by the network that it breached their copyright.

American Express pulls advertising from Sky News after far-right extremist interview Read more

Cottrell has a long history of being banned from both platforms, including a six-month ban from Facebook, but the platform has reviewed his recent post about rape and found it did not breach standards.

“Anyone would think I went on the air and spat in the face of the presenter then raped the entire staff on my way out,” Cottrell said on his Facebook page, which has 18,000 followers.

A Facebook spokesman said because the comment was not directed at a particular person, and did not “incite” rape, it did not breach standards.

Laura Jayes (@ljayes) As if to prove my original character assessment.... Blair Cottrell posts (and later deletes) some weird suggestion about raping me on air.



He’s not just a fascist. He’s down right dangerous pic.twitter.com/OwEIy1UpYz

His comment on Twitter on Tuesday morning was more direct and named Sky presenter Laura Jayes, who was the first Sky presenter – though not the last – to condemn him publicly.



Twitter has not responded to a request for comment yet but has apparently suspended him for one week.

Blair wrote: “I might as well have raped @ljayes on the air, not only would she have been happier with that but the reaction would’ve been the same.”

This tweet was deleted but Cottrell later claimed it was deleted by Twitter rather than him. Twitter has not confirmed this.

Jayes said the comment proved that Cottrell was not only a “fascist” but was also “dangerous”.

Sarah Hanson-Young💚 (@sarahinthesen8) This is vile and well beyond offensive. It’s dangerous. Good on you @ljayes for calling it out. No one should have to put up with this type of abuse, and especially not in their workplace or for doing their job https://t.co/3OFEQi7O73

Cottrell said he had been banned from Sky and other media platforms because he was “too articulate”.



Sky hosted Cottrell, a carpenter and bodybuilder, in its Melbourne studio for a one-on-one discussion about immigration on Sunday night, tweeting his 10-minute rant about immigration based on race and his preference for white South African farmers to fill the migration quota.



The leader of the United Patriots Front, a far-right nationalist group, has a criminal history that includes being found guilty last year of inciting contempt, revulsion or ridicule of Muslims. The bodybuilder and carpenter has also claimed to have manipulated women “using violence and terror”, and previously said he wanted a portrait of Hitler in every school classroom.

Sky has suspended Giles’s program and shaken up its management structure in the wake of the outcry.

At least one major company has withdrawn its advertisements from Sky News following Cottrell’s appearance, while the former Labor minister Craig Emerson quit his role as a network commentator.