TELL OFCOM: A GB News guest condoned antisocial behaviour against climate protesters again

Watch: GB News guest suggests police should employ people to “throw salt” on the ripped up hands of climate protesters who glued their hands to a road

On 28th September 2024, a GB News guest was allowed to condone antisocial behaviour against climate protesters for the second time, having made similar comments on the channel in June of this year.

The segment breached Ofcom rule 2.4, which forbids “material (whether in individual programmes or in programmes taken together) which, taking into account the context, condones or glamorises violent, dangerous or seriously antisocial behaviour and is likely to encourage others to copy such behaviour”.

Submit your complaint to Ofcom using this form and by following the guidance below. 

Programme details:

Programme title: Saturday Night Showdown
Date of broadcast: 28 September 2024
Time of broadcast (24 hour clock): 20:19
Channel / station: GB News

Your complaint:

Subject: GB News guest condoned antisocial behaviour against climate protesters, violating Ofcom broadcasting code 2.4.

Description:

Here’s a few bullet points to include:

  • On 28 September 2024, GB News guest Bruce Devlin expressed support for injuring climate protesters, which was not challenged. In the segment, Devlin stated that he “had huge respect for the Spanish police” when they “ripped” up protesters’ hands glued to a road. Devlin suggested that the police should “employ” “people to throw salt” onto their ripped up hands.
  • This amounts to an endorsement of violence against environmental protesters and therefore violates code 2.4 of the Ofcom code, which forbids “material (whether in individual programmes or in programmes taken together) which, taking into account the context, condones or glamorises violent, dangerous or seriously antisocial behaviour and is likely to encourage others to copy such behaviour”. The fact that environmental protesters have been subject to real life violence by members of the public makes these comments all the more dangerous. 
  • It is also notable that Devlin made near-identical comments on 9th June on GB News show Free Speech Nation at 20:04, when he advocated the same treatment of protesters, as well as leaving them to “bleed in their cell” and setting them on fire. This complaint was not investigated by Ofcom, despite also featuring Devlin condoning “dangerous or seriously antisocial behaviour”.
Deadline for complaints: October 25, 2024 11:59 pm

Submitting a complaint to Ofcom should take you less than 10 minutes and is completed via a form on their website.

Submitting a complaint to Ofcom should take you less than 10 minutes and is completed via a form on their website.

  • Ofcom is the UK’s public regulator for communications services. Among other responsibilities, their job is to ensure that TV channels uphold the Broadcasting Code. This code requires broadcasters to protect the public from harmful and offensive material, avoid unjust or unfair treatment of individuals and organisations, and report the news with due accuracy and impartiality.
  • Ofcom has real power to yield. Sanctions they can issue include directions not to repeat content, fines — and crucially, the power to suspend or revoke a TV channel’s licence to broadcast.
  • Ofcom must carefully consider every single complaint to see if their rules have been broken. If the complaint is strong, Ofcom will launch a formal investigation process.
  • Ofcom will not reply to each specific complaint but instead publishes records of the complaints received, investigations underway and breaches on their website, every fortnight.
  • Complaints must be about a specific breach of the code and submitted within 20 days of the program going to air.