Between 1 September 2020 and 5 January 2021, Scottish SPCA received 476 calls from people looking to give up their animals.
This compares to 205 calls in the same period in 2019/20. Calls about unwanted dogs increased by 103% from 105 to 213. Calls from people looking to give up cats jumped 151% from 61 to 153.
Chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We predicted an increase in unwanted animals last year after an explosion in demand for pets among people at home due to the pandemic.
“Whilst not such a big issue for kittens, a generation of pups will have grown up in a household where the family is often around. Once that situation changes it can be hard for a dog to adjust and this can lead to behavioural issues and separation anxiety. These issues can lead to dogs being destructive and it is at this point many owners considering giving their pet up.
“What they don’t realise is that the dog is acting this way because of its own experiences not because of any ingrained issue.”
Thankfully, we not seen an increase in abandonments despite the growth in calls about unwanted animals.
Mike said: “A rise in abandonments is something we’ve been worried about since last March. If anyone is no longer able or willing to look after their pet, they should contact us for advice and we will do what we can.
“People should consider their future lifestyle and how to help their pet adapt. Spending time away from their pet so they can get used to being alone is a good start.
“It is heart-breaking to see a healthy animal which loves their family given up because the owners have lost interest or not considered how their circumstances may change. We would urge people to consider a reputable behaviourist or training before they give up their pet.
“Our aim is to keep people and their pets together in a happy home. People who are considering adopting an animal should think long and hard about their circumstances and whether it is the right thing to do.”
Anyone considering giving up their animal should contact Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline on 03000 999 999 in confidence.
The UK Government has launched a major new public campaign urging people to act like they have the virus
A new TV ad fronted by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty urges people to stay at home in the face of rapidly rising rate of coronavirus infections and pressures facing the NHS.
Massive public information campaign is now running across TV, radio, out of home and on social media
Everyone in England is being urged to stay at home and “act like you’ve got it” as part of a major advertising campaign encouraging the public to control the spread of the virus and protect the NHS and save lives.
Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms and can pass it on without realising, which is why it’s essential everyone stays at home and remembers Hands, Face, Space.
‘Stay at home, save lives’ will run across TV, radio, out of home advertising and on social media, and will include a new advert fronted by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty which will be aired for the first time on ITV at 7.15pm on Friday 8 January 2021.
The campaign recognises the overwhelming pressure facing the NHS and urges people to stay at home. It comes as current data shows COVID-19 cases and deaths are at an all-time high and NHS hospitals and staff are under huge pressure, with some hospitals in the South East at extreme capacity.
On 1 September, there were under 500 COVID-19 inpatients in hospitals in England. On 1 November this increased to approximately 9,000. On Christmas Day, it was just below the last peak at 17,701 and on 7 January there were 28,246 – that is an increase of more than 11,000 in under two weeks.
The latest stark data shows the UK recorded 68,053 new coronavirus cases – the highest daily total of the pandemic so far, as well as the highest ever daily COVID-19 deaths with 1,325 fatalities.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates across the entire country continue to soar at an alarming rate.
“The vaccine has given us renewed hope in our fight against the virus but we must not be complacent. The NHS is under severe strain and we must take action to protect it, both so our doctors and nurses can continue to save lives and so they can vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as we can.
“I know the last year has taken its toll – but your compliance is now more vital than ever. So once again, I must urge everyone to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: Our NHS is facing a huge challenge – it is under immense pressure and it’s imperative now more than ever we all play our part.
“I know how much we have all sacrificed already, but the new variant has significantly changed the current landscape and we absolutely cannot let up now.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel – the vaccine will provide a way out of this and over 1.5 million people across the UK have now been vaccinated.
“Every day we are closer to beating this virus, but right now, we need to pull together for one final push and I’m urging you to continue to do your bit by staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS.
Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said: “Covid-19, especially the new variant, is spreading quickly across the country. This puts many people at risk of serious disease and is placing a lot of pressure on our NHS.
“Once more, we must all stay at home. If it’s essential to go out, remember: wash your hands, cover your face indoors and keep your distance from others.
“Vaccines give clear hope for the future, but for now we must all stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.”
The adverts remind the public the new Covid-19 variant is spreading fast. Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms, but can still pass it on, putting people at risk and a renewed pressure on our NHS.
It reiterates everyone must stay at home. If it’s essential to go out, it reminds people to wash their hands, cover their face and make space.
In the meantime, NHS Test and Trace is successfully reaching more people than ever before, with 96.8% of contacts reached within 24 hours and more than five million people being reached in total. As of 30 December, more than 54 million tests have been processed in the UK in total since testing began – more than any other comparable European country.
Over 1.5 million people across the UK have now been vaccinated – more than the whole of Europe. But the Government is urging people to continue to do their bit and further prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Those aged 80 years of age and over invited forward for vaccination
NHS Lothian is getting ready to vaccinate those aged 80 years of age and over as it rolls out the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine into GP and community settings from today (January 11).
With mainland Scotland now in lockdown, David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation and NHS Lothian COVID-19 Vaccination Project Lead today reminded those eligible who will be invited in the coming weeks that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a permissible reason to leave the home.
The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the UK last week (December 30). It is the second COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by the MHRA.
With age the greatest risk factor for serious illness and death from COVID-19, the first priority group for the vaccine is residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, people aged 80 or over and frontline health and social care workers.
Those aged 80 or over will receive a letter or ‘phone call from NHS [insert board area] inviting them forward for their vaccination and advising them where and when they can get it.
The vaccine requires two doses to offer the best possible protection. Second dose appointments will be scheduled for twelve weeks after the first dose is administered, in line with MHRA regulatory advice and updated clinical guidance from the JCVI.
David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation and NHS Lothian COVID-19 Vaccination Project Lead said: “The first of our GP practices began administering the COVID vaccine to the over 80s last week (above) and from today further roll out commences.
“The COVID vaccine offers a beacon of hope, in what has some been truly difficult times. Across Lothian, we are working tirelessly to make sure that we can deliver the vaccine to each of the relevant groups when they are due to receive it.
“Whilst stay at home guidance is in place to supress the spread of COVID-19, I’d encourage those who are eligible to attend their appointments when invited, as getting vaccinated remains a valid reason to leave your home.”
“Those who are eligible for vaccination will be contacted directly with details of when and where they will receive their vaccinations. We ask individuals to wait to hear, rather than contact their GP.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, said: “We are prioritising the delivery of first vaccine doses to as many people on the JCVI Phase 1 clinical priority list in the shortest possible timeframe, to maximise the impact of the vaccine programme in its primary aims of reducing mortality and hospitalisations for those at greatest risk.
“Vaccination is one of the most important tools we have as we work our way out of this pandemic.”
For more information visit nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine or call 0800 030 8013.
City Council Leader Adam McVey is urging members of the public to stay at home and not attend a planned demonstration at the Scottish Parliament today.
“This simply isn’t safe. To attend a protest like this now would be incredibly selfish and those doing so would be putting our families and communities at greater risk when numbers of transmissions are already far too high in Edinburgh.
“This attempt to create a crowd is utterly disrespectful to our businesses and residents who are sacrificing so much to try and keep all of us safe.
“Anyone thinking of breaking the rules by travelling to Edinburgh to attend this event should not do so – they are not welcome.”
It’s National Houseplant Day (really!) and novice plant parents have been warned about six of the hardest houseplants to keep alive.
Plant pros from GardeningExpress.co.uk have revealed some of the houseplants that prove difficult to keep flourishing without doing the right research or having the correct equipment.
In order to keep miniature roses alive indoors, growers would have to mimic outdoor growing conditions for this high-maintenance “houseplant” which would require humidifiers, grow lights and even a miniature fan.
Orchids also have a reputation for being quite difficult to grow, as the tropical plants have specific needs including a particularly sparse watering schedule.
A spokesperson for Gardening Express said: “Thanks to Instagram, houseplants are more popular than ever, but it’s not always as easy as popping a plant where it looks nicest and watering it when you remember.
“Some are more high maintenance that others, and we’ve revealed six of the hardest to keep alive without properly considering their specific requirements.”
1. Boston Fern
This lush, leafy plant can give your home serious jungle vibes – as long as you can successfully mimic the growing conditions of its first home, the tropical and sub-tropical rainforests. Without warmer temperatures, high humidity, and lots of filtered light, a sad fern will shed its leaves.
2. Miniature Roses
If you buy one of these plants in a pot, it typically needs to be moved outdoors within two weeks in order to thrive. Otherwise, you’ll have to mimic outdoor growing conditions for this high-maintenance “houseplant” which would require all sorts of equipment – a humidifier, grow light and even a miniature fan.
3. Orchid
Characterised by their colourful blooms and slender stems, orchids have a reputation for being quite difficult to grow. The tropical plants have quite specific needs – namely bright, indirect sunlight and a sparse watering schedule.
4. African Violets
African Violets love humidity, which is why many people place them on top of steam radiators. You could also place bowls of water among your plants, place their pots in a tray on top of a bed of wet gravel, or let them sit in the water that drains out of the pots after you water the plants.
5. Zebra plant
Many homeowners admire these plants for their glossy white-veined leaves and yellow blooms, but the showy houseplants require tediously specific growing conditions including a consistent temperature, humidity and moist soil.
6. Cheese plant
Although some sources claim this tropical plant is easy to grow, the truth is that you must do quite a lot to keep it flourishing. The iconic holes in this plant’s leaves will not form on new leaves if the plant receives too much sun, so you have to experiment to find the perfect spot in the house.
Scots are being urged to seek support and advice from Home Energy Scotland to reduce heating bills and make their homes warmer and more energy efficient, as increasing numbers of households seek advice on ways to cut energy bills.
A recent survey shows that with more people working from home since the start of the pandemic, almost half of those (44%) worry this will lead to an increase in unaffordable energy bills.
The Scottish Government-funded Home Energy Scotland advice service has seen a significant increase in demand since July 2020. The average number of calls to the free advice service has risen by 95% compared with the same six-month period last year. In its busiest weeks, calls were up more than 200% on the same dates in 2019.
Through Home Energy Scotland, the Scottish Government offers support and funding to help reduce bills and save energy. This includes help worth up to £5,000 to make homes more energy efficient through the Warmer Homes Scotland programme.
Help is still available for householders throughout lockdown, with strict safety protocols in place for installation of essential home heating measures under this programme.
People are also encouraged to contact Home Energy Scotland to find out how they can make their home more energy efficient. Interest-free loans with cashback of up to 75% are available for a variety of measures such as solid wall insulation, double glazing or a new renewable heating system.
Loan offers are valid for a year so householders in mainland Scotland can prepare now for installations when lockdown is lifted.
Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Kevin Stewart, said: “We want to ensure that people are able to get all the help and support available to them to keep warm and safe in their home especially during the winter.
“That is why we acted quickly and have taken action to ensure that appropriate support is available for those struggling with increased household energy bills as a result of the pandemic.
“I am really pleased that our award winning Home Energy Scotland service has adapted its approach during the pandemic and has continued to provide a range of free impartial advice and support for anyone concerned about paying their energy bills. I would urge anyone struggling with their fuel bills to get in touch with Home Energy Scotland.”
Harry Mayers, Head of Home Energy Scotland, said: “Home Energy Scotland helps householders with both practical and financial support. This year calls to our helpline have risen sharply, with more than 2,000 people turning to us each week for advice on how to reduce their heating bills, save money and keep their household warm.
“As well as financial support, our advisors help customers identify practical savings they can make at home, either by changing the way they use energy or carrying out energy-saving home improvements. We can also help people access further support through our network of partners across health, social care and other areas of advice.”
Home Energy Scotland from the Scottish Government provides clear and impartial advice on reducing bills and saving energy – call 0808 808 2282 or visit www.homeenergyscotland.org
Amazon and charity partner, Magic Breakfast, enlist Countdown presenter Rachel Riley for a special class with Castleview Primary School in Edinburgh
Amazon extends partnership with Magic Breakfast to provide healthy breakfasts for children across the UK, including school holidays; since the start of the pandemic Amazon has delivered more than two million meals
Magic Breakfast is among the thousands of charities around the world receiving millions of items through product and monetary donations from Amazon this festive season
Before the holidays pupils at an Edinburgh school enjoyed a very special Christmas surprise when their usual teachers were joined by Countdown presenter Rachel Riley. The TV star hosted a special maths class for the pupils at Castleview Primary School as part of Amazon.co.uk’s “VIB – Very Important Breakfast – Clubs”.
Co-hosted by Magic Breakfast – a charity which provides healthy breakfasts and wrap-around support to tens of thousands of children in disadvantaged areas of the UK, the exclusive, celebrity surprise lesson was created to mark the two millionth meal delivered by Amazon this year alone and forms part of a Christmas programme of donations by Amazon.
The VIB Club at Castleview Primary School is part of a series that will also include celebrity guest lessons at schools in Doncaster, Brent, Scunthorpe and Poole. The clubs will then be made available on the Amazon.co.ukYouTube channel to bring some Christmas magic to all children for free this festive season.
“No child should be too hungry to learn, and we’re proud to help Magic Breakfast deliver meals to children at risk of hunger. When COVID-19 meant schools had to close, we made it our mission to reach as many children as possible at home, delivering food parcels directly to the doorstep of thousands of vulnerable children,” said Rachel Seaward-Simpson from the Amazon Customer Services Centre in Edinburgh.
“This Christmas, we have created Very Important Breakfast Clubs to bring joy to children, schools and families across the UK, underpinning our ongoing commitment to deliver fuel for learning across the rest of the school year, including the holidays.”
“It was so cool to have a celebrity teach us in our class and Rachel was really nice,” said a pupil at Castleview Primary School. “She made the maths lesson super fun and gave us tips of how to spot prime factors in the real world.”
Clare Langley, Head Teacher at Castleview Primary School, added: “Amazon and Magic Breakfast do important work in our community and the breakfast clubs have been an essential part of our pupils’ lives, particularly during COVID-19.
“The support our school has been given by both Amazon and Magic Breakfast has been amazing and our pupils had the lesson of their lives with Rachel Riley this week. On behalf of the staff, boys and girls at Castleview Primary School, I’d like to thank Amazon, Magic Breakfast and Rachel for an unforgettable experience.”
Rachel Riley commented: “I believe all children deserve a healthy and happy start to their day so I’m taking part in these Very Important Breakfast Clubs with Amazon and Magic Breakfast.
“I hope I can also show children that maths can be fun with my special lesson about discovering prime numbers and factors in the world around us.”
Stars Surprise Schools with VIB Clubs
To start the day with a lesson like no other, children at five Magic Breakfast partner schools in Doncaster, Poole, Brent, Scunthorpe and Edinburgh, will be surprised with virtual visits from:
● Joe Sugg, one of the UK’s biggest YouTubers and 2018’s Strictly Come Dancing runner-up, will be joined by his partner Dianne Buswell totreat the class to a cha-cha-rming dance lesson in the first VIB Club
● Professor Green, the multi-platinum rapper and songwriter and mental health advocate, will be getting down with the kids to come up with some new rhymes in his freestyle rap session.
● Dr Ranj Singh, the NHS doctor and BAFTA award-winning TV presenter, will be beamed in with a brain-busting lesson in biology.
● Rachel Riley, Countdown presenter and the nation’s favourite mathematician, will be playing the numbers game in her lesson, showing maths is ‘easy as Pi’.
● Lia Lewis, British freestyle footballer and TikTok superstar, will kick-start the school day by teaching freestyle flair. With shin bounces, sole stalls and rainbow flicks all on the lesson plan, it will be a PE class with the wow factor!
Schools and families around the country will be able to enjoy the VIB Club lessons on the Amazon.co.ukYouTube channel for free this Christmas.
Feeding Bodies and Minds
Magic Breakfast, an Amazon.co.uk charity partner since 2016, provides healthy school breakfasts to children in disadvantaged areas of the UK to combat food poverty as a barrier to education.
When schools shut last year due to COVID-19, Amazon worked with Magic Breakfast to deliver food parcels directly to the doorsteps of thousands of children around the UK.
Last week the company announced that it has delivered two million ‘magic breakfasts’ to vulnerable children across the UK this year, and will expand its partnership to continue to deliver healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger throughout the rest of the school year and school holidays.
Amazon is also helping Magic Breakfast digitise classrooms, providing thousands of children with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) equipment including coding robot kits and programming training.
Customers can support Magic Breakfast by donating here: www.magicbreakfast.com/donate/magic-breakfast; or by choosing Magic Breakfast as their charity on Amazon Smile (available on desktop and app), where customers can shop with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to a charity of their choice.
“We’ve worked with Amazon for over four years and in 2020 alone, together we’ve delivered two million breakfasts to vulnerable children which is just astonishing,” said Alex Cunningham, CEO of Magic Breakfast.
“After a challenging year, ending with the cancellation of many school celebrations, we hope that our VIB Clubs with Amazon will give children a reason to smile this Christmas, as well as raising funds and awareness for the most vulnerable in our communities. None of this would have been possible without our partnership with Amazon, so thank you to Amazon for their unwavering support and helping us end a difficult year with some Christmas magic.”
Amazon’s Festive Giving
Magic Breakfast is among the thousands of charities around the world receiving millions of items through product and monetary donations from Amazon this festive season. Across Europe, Amazon committed €21 million to support those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and in the UK,as well as increasing support for Magic Breakfast, Amazon.co.uk is donating to help organisations which are supporting communities directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
These donations include delivering STEM gifts to children supported by Barnardo’s; supporting DePaul with the essential work the charity does to provide emergency housing, item donation and support structures for families and young people; helping the British Red Cross with its logistical support for the NHS including delivering medicine and getting patients home from hospital, as well as providing thousands of care packages for the elderly and isolated. Amazon is also working with NHS Charities Together, to provide gifts for children who are in isolation or cannot leave hospital this Christmas and to support the elderly during the festive season, as well as supporting Home Start by sending Christmas donations to local branches of the charity across the UK.
Helping Customers Give Back While They Shop
AmazonSmile makes it easy for customers to support a good cause this Christmas at no extra cost to them. While shopping for gifts, Amazon customers can support Magic Breakfast or any one of more than 30,000 participating UK charities by visiting smile.amazon.co.uk or by activating AmazonSmile in the Amazon app on iPhones and Android phones under “Programs and Features” (after selecting a charity via smile.amazon.co.uk).
AmazonSmile has the same low prices and convenient shopping experience customers have come to expect from Amazon, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to a charity of your choice. AmazonSmile has donated more than £5.5 million to UK charities and more than £175 million globally to hundreds of thousands of charitable organisations.
Customers can support Magic Breakfast by donating here:
or by choosing Magic Breakfast as their charity on Amazon Smile (available on desktop and app), where customers can shop with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to a charity of their choice.
Education expert welcomes new help but says inevitable rush by schools to access what’s on offer will slow delivery
The UK Government’s last-minute decision to close schools to the vast majority of children has again highlighted the so-called digital divide – the large number of homes where there are insufficient digital devices for pupils to work on – or no broadband connection at all.
About 9% of children in the UK – between 1.1 million and 1.8 million – do not have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at home, according to Ofcom. More than 880,000 of them live in a household with only a mobile internet connection.
But pupils in England who have no access to laptops have now been designated ‘vulnerable’, the Department for Education has said, meaning that they can continue to attend school for face-to-face learning during lockdown.
And Three UK, which has an 11% market share of mobile subscriptions in the UK, said on Tuesday that it would provide unlimited data upgrades to disadvantaged schoolchildren in England until the end of the school year in July, amid pressure on others to do the same.
There is an existing DfE scheme for disadvantaged children who do not have access to a home broadband connection to temporarily increase their mobile data allowance. Schools, trusts and local authorities need to request the support on a pupil’s behalf.
As for the tablets themselves, the Department for Education says it had delivered more than 560,000 devices to schools and councils in England between the start of the pandemic and the end of last year, though there have been widespread complaints from schools that the numbers promised have not arrived.
Ministers say they aim to have delivered a further 100,000 laptops and tablets to schools by the end of this week to help it reach its overall target of 1 million devices.
Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan of education resources experts PlanBee, which has produced learning packs to help parents having to home-school their children, says: The government scheme looks pretty good – at least in theory.
‘In addition to laptops and tablets which schools and local authorities can order, they can also get 4G routers, apply for extra data allowances on parents’ mobile phones, and get their entire school set up on either Google or Microsoft’s virtual classroom learning platforms,’ he says.
He continued: ‘There’s training available for staff on distributing, setting up and using all the tech, too. The site says that once a school has registered that they are closed due to outbreak, or supporting a vulnerable child learning from home, they can get the tech delivered within two days of placing an order.’
But he warns that although the government technology offer is now better established than during the first lockdown, there are likely to be significant delays getting the technology into the hands of those who need it most: disadvantaged children.
‘It’s bad enough that learning is being interrupted for all pupils, as teachers scramble to prepare remote learning materials, but even worse is the fact that, once again, it’s the children in poorer families who will suffer for longer while they wait for laptops, tablets and 4G routers to arrive.’
He says that had the decision to close schools been made sooner, and more notice given, schools could have placed orders in time for the start of the new term.
‘Now, many primary schools and local authorities will all be applying for laptops at the same time; there are bound to be issues with delivery as a consequence.’
PlanBee’s Learn at Home Packs each contains eight lessons with teacher-led teaching input videos, parent-friendly friendly lesson plans, slideshow presentations and printable worksheets.
‘We hope these packs will take some of the pressure off parents who are new to home schooling. They’re designed specifically for mums and dads, so there’s no educational jargon. Educating your children at home can seem a pretty daunting prospect, but with these packs, we think we’re helping with the heavy lifting.’
He added: ‘We have kept the need for technology to an absolute minimum, but all education providers have to rely on it to some extent, even if it’s only to download PDF worksheets.
‘The Government needs to get the digital divide sorted – and fast.’
PlanBeehaveput alesson videosup online for FREE, so you can get a taste of what’s included in the packs. And there are lots of free teaching resources for parents here.
Following Thursday’s scenes at the Capitol, twitter made the following statement on Friday:
After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.
In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action. Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly. It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open.
However, we made it clear going back years that these accounts are not above our rules entirely and cannot use Twitter to incite violence, among other things. We will continue to be transparent around our policies and their enforcement.
The below is a comprehensive analysis of our policy enforcement approach in this case.
Overview
On January 8, 2021, President Donald J. Trump Tweeted:
“The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!”
Shortly thereafter, the President Tweeted:
“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
Due to the ongoing tensions in the United States, and an uptick in the global conversation in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks.
After assessing the language in these Tweets against our Glorification of Violence policy, we have determined that these Tweets are in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy and the user @realDonaldTrump should be immediately permanently suspended from the service.
Assessment
We assessed the two Tweets referenced above under our Glorification of Violence policy, which aims to prevent the glorification of violence that could inspire others to replicate violent acts and determined that they were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
This determination is based on a number of factors, including:
President Trump’s statement that he will not be attending the Inauguration is being received by a number of his supporters as further confirmation that the election was not legitimate and is seen as him disavowing his previous claim made via two Tweets (1, 2) by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Dan Scavino, that there would be an “orderly transition” on January 20th.
The second Tweet may also serve as encouragement to those potentially considering violent acts that the Inauguration would be a “safe” target, as he will not be attending.
The use of the words “American Patriots” to describe some of his supporters is also being interpreted as support for those committing violent acts at the US Capitol.
The mention of his supporters having a “GIANT VOICE long into the future” and that “They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!” is being interpreted as further indication that President Trump does not plan to facilitate an “orderly transition” and instead that he plans to continue to support, empower, and shield those who believe he won the election.
Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021.
As such, our determination is that the two Tweets above are likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021, and that there are multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so.
Now also facing impeachment,just how the outgoing President will respond remains to be seen – but it certainly won’t be on Twitter!
