How Elon Musk spread misinformation about an Edinburgh stabbing
Plus: Holyrood candidate quits; and your cultural highlights for the week ahead
Welcome to your midweek edition of The Inquirer.
A non-fatal stabbing is sadly not the most remarkable news story in Edinburgh today and certainly not one that in any normal circumstances would make headlines around the world.
That, however, is exactly what happened this week after a remarkable surge in online misinformation about a violent disturbance in the Calders area of the city.
How did it happen? And who was responsible for spreading wildly inaccurate reports about what really happened in the city on Tuesday.
For today’s long read, David Forsyth tracks how a serious but relatively routine crime in Edinburgh was seized on by among others the world’s richest man, X owner Elon Musk, and became fuel to spread racial hatred.
Sadly, wildly inaccurate reports were not limited to social media, with some national newspaper reports freely repeating sensational claims that turned out to be completely unfounded.
The need for trustworthy, fact-checked journalism has never been clearer.
You can read David’s full report below. Before that, we have your usual news roundup and cultural highlights for the week ahead.
Your Edinburgh Briefing
SILVER SCREEN GOLD: The Cameo Picturehouse has been named one of the 100 best cinemas in the world right now by Time Out magazine. It is joined on the list by the GFT (Glasgow Film Theatre) and the 35-seater Cromarty Community Cinema.
CANDIDATE QUITS: The SNP candidate for Edinburgh Southern in the upcoming Scottish Parliament election is standing after The Scotsman revealed she is being being investigated over alleged benefit fraud. Sally Donald has “strenuously denied any and all wrongdoing” and she did not want to distract from the SNP campaign.
GANGLAND ARRESTS: Two senior organised crime figures linked to the violent feud which erupted across Edinburgh and Glasgow last year have reportedly been arrested in Bahrain. Steven Lyons and Ross McGill were only released from custody in Dubai five months ago.
‘DISNEYFICATION’ FILM: A film inspired by Harry Potter tourism and the so-called “disneyfication” of Edinburgh is being premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival. Filmed around the Capital, including in Balerno, The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford tells the story of the impact on a town of being the setting for a fantasy TV series. The dark comedy stars Peter Mullan and is the debut feature film of Edinburgh-born writer and director Sean Dunn, who now lives in New York.
Pick of the (Cultural) Pops
Greetings, Pop Pickers!
Welcome to March! The daffodils are daring to poke their heads above the parapet, the days are getting longer, and the Edinburgh cultural calendar is officially blooming.
We have a chart this week that balances the heavyweight emotional hitters with some top-tier comedy. We have a theatrical double-whammy at the Traverse, a solo physical tour-de-force, and the biggest musical premiere the city has seen in years.
Let’s count them down…
New in at Number 5 is... Jason Manford: A Manford All Seasons (Queen’s Hall, Saturday)
The Queen’s Hall is playing host to a man who needs no introduction. You simply don’t enjoy such longevity at the top of the comedy industry if you aren’t delivering the goods time after time. Jason Manford is the definition of a safe pair of hands—but don’t mistake “safe” for “boring.” Whether he’s charmed you on Live at the Apollo or showcased his impressive pipes in a West End musical, he has an innate ability to work a room that few can match. If you want an evening of expert observational comedy that feels like a hug from an old mate, get yourself a ticket.
New in at Number 4 is... Mark Nelson: Liquid Gold (The Stand, March 12th) Looking ahead to next Thursday, we have a comic who offers a slightly different flavour to Mr. Manford. Mark Nelson has been a familiar face (and voice) to Scottish audiences for a good while, but the last few years have seen him rise to new levels of UK-wide visibility. It is recognition long overdue. Nelson is a comic who is just as comfortable leading a Radio 4 panel show as he is destroying a heckler in a sticky basement club. His new show, Liquid Gold, promises to be a masterclass in dark, dry wit. Book now before the TV cameras claim him for good.
New in at Number 3 is... The Bacchae (The Studio, March 10th–11th)
Prepare yourselves for something intense. Next week, the Company of Wolves brings their new production to the Festival Theatre’s Studio. I last caught these adepts of “laboratory theatre” back in 2022 performing Julius Caesar, and I can tell you they are not for the faint of heart. Tracing their roots deep into the physical theatre traditions of Poland, they are now tackling Euripides’ ancient tragedy. They promise a “hymn of rebirth” that blurs the lines between human and animal, victim and perpetrator. Knowing this company, whatever you might expect from that description will be tamer than the reality. If you want a transformative, physical experience rather than a polite sit-down, this is essential viewing.
New in at Number 2 (Shared) is... The Traverse Double Bill (Medea & The Legend of Davie McKenzie)
Sharing the silver medal this week are two productions that prove why the Traverse remains the beating heart of Scottish drama.
First, opening this weekend (March 6th–7th), is the triumphant return of Bard in the Botanics’ Medea. This production swept the board at the CATS awards a few years back, and for good reason. Nicole Cooper reprises her award-winning role in a staging that critic Joyce McMillan called “stunning” and “radical.” It is a blistering update of the myth that brings a sharp 21st-century edge to the tragedy.
Second, looking ahead to next week (March 10th–14th), is The Legend of Davie McKenzie. This is part of the A Play, A Pie and A Pint season—Scotland’s perennial hotbed of new writing and a glowing lunchtime gem that consistently punches above its weight. This specific show comes from the team behind the cracking Christmas show Dancing Shoes and features a stellar cast including River City’s Sean Connor. A pie, a pint, and a play about the complexities of male friendship? Sold.
Holding strong at Number 1 is... One Day (Royal Lyceum Theatre, Previews ongoing)
This is it. The big one. The Lyceum is currently deep in previews for what promises to be the biggest theatrical opening in Scotland this year. Based on David Nicholls’ best-selling novel, this world premiere musical has transformed the auditorium into the round, creating an intimate arena for a story that spans decades. With West End heavyweights Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose leading a powerhouse cast, this has “UK-wide significance” written all over it.
Press Night isn’t until the 11th of March, so I find myself in the odd position of making this the Number 1 entry for two weeks running without actually having laid eyes on it yet. But as a cheerleader for homegrown work, I am holding onto hope for a Scottish-made blockbuster. With such a strong provenance, I’d be surprised if I’m wrong.
And that’s the chart for this week! I’ll be back next week with more cultural gems. Until then, keep your ears open and your tickets booked.
Stay bright.
How Elon Musk spread misinformation about an Edinburgh stabbing
Wild reports told the world that Edinburgh was under terrorist attack
by David Forsyth
There’s an old saying – “a lie can travel half-way around the world while truth is still putting its boots on”. That’s never been truer than it is right now, with the algorithms of social media platforms set up to prioritise messages that gain traction over those which are factually accurate.
As diligent and professional journalists work to verify the facts when incidents happen, social media can already be exploding with sensationalised or lurid accounts designed to gain clicks.
This week, Edinburgh has found itself front and centre in the eyes of a perfect storm of misinformation and disinformation following a knife attack by a 23-year-old man carried out in the Calders area of the city. Misinformation just means it’s not true, disinformation means it is deliberately passed on to create further confusion or distress. Either way, it’s a growing problem.
What we can verify is that a 23-year-old has been arrested following a disturbing incident during which a man was seen carrying two knives in the streets. Police have confirmed that one man was stabbed and a woman injured - reportedly suffering a cut head which is not believed to have been caused by a knife or similar weapon - during a disturbance on Monday morning.
The arrest was made by police later in the afternoon after a stand-off of several hours between the police and a man in a ninth floor flat.
Yesterday, appearing in private at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, 23-year-old Mustafa Kokoneh faced eight separate charges including two of attempted murder. He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody.
