Alex Jones Called for 'Battle Rifles.' Twitter Called for a Suspension

For 7 days, Alex can't tweet, retweet, or like other posts on Twitter—a 'mild sanctioning' to some
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 15, 2018 9:15 AM CDT
Twitter Says 'See Ya' to Alex Jones—for 7 Days
In this April 19, 2017, file photo, Alex Jones arrives to court in Austin, Texas.   (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)

The Twitter-Alex Jones saga continues. "We'll enforce [our rules]" if Jones breaks them, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey promised last week amid backlash on why the conspiracy theorist accused of hate speech is still afforded a platform on Dorsey's site, and it appears Twitter has followed through. The Verge reports Jones' tweeting privileges have been temporarily suspended for breaking rules on inciting violence after he posted a video (seen on Media Matters) on Twitter-owned Periscope in which he railed against "antifa" and those he says are trying to shut down First Amendment rights. He noted citizens need to "act on the enemy" and "have their battle rifles and everything ready at their bedsides." The New York Times reports the suspension means Jones can still view his account and scroll through other tweets, but he can't tweet, retweet, or like other posts for seven days.

It's so far been the most severe action Twitter has taken against Jones, despite a CNN probe last week that found Jones had already broken several Twitter rules. Although Jones' personal Twitter handle is on lockdown, the handle for his Infowars site isn't, and that's where he took to Wednesday morning to respond to the suspension. "I did not threaten the MSM with battle rifles!," he tweeted, posting an accompanying 13-minute video in which he tries to dismantle the argument that he incited violence. "The NYT wants me off Twitter! The story is a hoax!" Meanwhile, USA Today calls Jones' suspension a "mild sanctioning" and notes that, in addition to still tweeting from the Infowars account, he's already pointing his users to the Infowars Tumblr page. (More Alex Jones stories.)

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