Twitter sat outside San Francisco headquarters for pro-Trump protesters on Monday after banning the president from the platform.
The technology giant suspended Trump permanently on Friday, citing a “risk of further incitement to violence” following the storms of the US Capitol by his supporters. Those shares fell 10 percent shortly after opening on Monday.
Police told The San Francisco Chronicle said they were aware of a possible protest and was in contact with the giant social media. One police car was parked outside the building on Sunday and barricades were installed, NBC reported.
No official demonstration is planned, but online talk suggests Trump supporters may decide to gather to protest the decision.
One report on Saturday suggested that those present should bring ‘big’ ties with the fact that a citizen is being arrested by violent rioters. ‘It is said that another protester told to cover their faces with masks and hats.
Twitter employees have been out of office since March last year at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. CEO Jack Dorsey has reportedly made the extraordinary call to suspend Trump’s account while on holiday in French Polynesia.
The fallout from Twitter’s permanent ban on Trump continued over the weekend when his eldest son took to the social media site and fled loyalists to alternatives like Gab and Parler.
‘The world laughs at America and Mao, Lenin and Stalin smile. Great technology can censor the president? Freedom of speech is dead and is controlled by left-wing overlords, “Don Trump Jr. tweeted on Saturday, urging followers to join his mailing list:” If I’m next. ‘
On Monday, he tweeted a post that read: “The Internet was much safer before @Twitter, @Apple, @Google and @Facebook started protecting us from it” and wrote: “This times 1000.”
On Friday, Twitter also permanently banned two Trump loyalists – former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and attorney Sidney Powell – as part of a broader clearing of accounts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Twitter on Monday was supporting Trump protesters outside its headquarters in San Francisco, pictured, after banning the president from the platform
Officers were stationed outside the building on Sunday and barricades were erected, NBC reported.
San Francisco officer Adam Lobsinger said in a statement: “SFPD was in touch with representatives of Twitter. We will have sufficient resources available to respond to any demonstrations as well as calls for service nationwide.
‘San Francisco police are committed to facilitating the public’s right to free speech with the first amendment. We ask that everyone who exercises their rights for the first amendment should be considerate, respectful and respect the safety of others. ‘
John Dennis, chairman of the Republican Party in San Francisco, said: ‘If the company applies the terms of service in an unequal way, you will get an answer.
“It’s going to happen. So I do not know the details of this protest, but I suspect you will see a lot of it. ‘
Twitter fell 10 percent in early trading on Monday
Twitter said in a statement: ‘While we respect people’s right to know their opinion, we are transparent about the factors that led to our decision last week.
“We have nothing to add, but wanted to confirm that we continue to guide mandatory work from home for Twitter employees.”
Facebook on Thursday suspended Trump’s account until January 20, the day of the election of President Joe Biden, and possibly indefinitely.
The fueled frustration of right-wing social media site Parler also disappeared from the internet and disappeared from Apple and Google app stores on Monday after technology giants severed ties with the platform.
Parler went offline shortly after 3 a.m. EST after Amazon launched the platform of its web hosting service, effectively shutting it down until it could find a new host partner.
The site is hailed by Trump supporters as a conservative-friendly alternative to Twitter. The site is seen as a magnet for the far right and is accused by Apple, Google and Amazon of still allowing messages that provoke violence after Wednesday’s riot.
Parler, who used some of the rioters to plan the uprising, was the app most downloaded in the Apple store on Friday before both Apple and Google suspended access to their app stores.
CEO John Matze warned in his last post before the 3-hour deadline that ‘we will probably be longer than expected’, as technology companies are distancing themselves from the ‘free speech’ website.
On Friday, Twitter also permanently banned two Trump loyalists – former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and attorney Sidney Powell – as part of a broader clearing of accounts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory. Twitter has said it will take action against behavior that could lead to offline harm
Trump, locked up in the White House, is increasingly isolated after a mob in the Capitol rioted in support of his false allegations of election fraud.
Pro-Trump protesters enter US Capitol building on Wednesday
Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, who had an account on Parler, was furious about what he said was “political censorship” after Apple and Google removed the app.
“Speak the word so your fellow Americans know about it,” he encouraged his three million followers on the site.
Legal expert Ben Shapiro warned on Twitter that “the tech brothers are making a horrible and dangerous moment significantly more horrible and dangerous”.
‘Consistent standards are not applied. There is reactionary disintegration in the name of one side, ‘he claims.
“Everyone on the right is rightly concerned that the same companies are five minutes away from simply removing conservatives’ ability to present content anywhere.”
The repression on social media has revived a debate over whether technology giants should be treated as ‘publishers’ with the same responsibility as news providers.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted an image of an analytical tool showing that major elected Democrats gain tens of thousands of followers on Twitter, while key Republicans lose them at the same rate.
“This is how you create an echo chamber …” Pompeo wrote.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said the House would continue legislation to accuse Trump as she urged the Vice President and Cabinet to call for constitutional authority to enforce him.
Greeted by supporters of Donald Trump as a conservative friendly alternative to Twitter, Parler is seen as a magnet for the far right and is accused by Apple, Google and Amazon of still allowing messages that incite violence after the attack on Wednesday at the Capitol.
Shortly after 3:00 AM EST, Parler disappears from the Internet with an error message saying ‘we can not connect to the server’ after Amazon pulled the plug
In his last post before the 3 o’clock deadline, Matze said that ‘most people with enough servers to house us have closed their doors for us’
Trump, locked up in the White House, is increasingly isolated after a mob in the Capitol rioted in support of his false allegations of election fraud.
After his personal account was banned on Friday, Trump went to the @POTUS account and pushed the idea that he could build his own ‘platform’.
A crowd of Trump supporters overwhelmed police, broke through security lines and windows and ran through the Capitol on Wednesday, forcing lawmakers to disperse as they completed Biden’s victory over Trump in Electoral College.
On the ban on Trump, Twitter said in a statement: “In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that further violations of Twitter rules could potentially lead to this action.
‘Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear directly from elected officials and world leaders. It is built on a principle that the people have the right to hold public accountable.
“However, we made it clear years ago that these accounts are not completely above our rules and cannot, among other things, use Twitter to incite violence.”