I fear for Great Britain and worry things could turn ugly - Poots

""I have expressed a fear for Great Britain that it could be coming to a point of civil unrest. I observe what's going on there, having come through The Troubles myself, having watched how things got inflamed in Northern Ireland," Poots told BBC News NI. "I could see where street protests could turn into street violence and where that can become sectarianised.""

""I fear that things could turn ugly in Great Britain and I think the government needs to be really aware of that," he said. "There are real big problems out there where people are deeply fired up about things. "The consequence is some people may take action that could lead to someone else being hurt. That's the real problem with all of this.""

""Human beings are to blame. Guns don't shoot people, people pull the trigger. Knives don't stab people. It is the intent of the people who go on to social media," he said. Social media "is an amazing invention" but it is being used "for the purposes of abuse", he added. "I think social media companies need to look at how they can mitigate that and ensure that we don't lead to a situation where"

Edwin Poots warned that the current political climate in Great Britain is increasingly rebellious and divided and risks escalating toward civil unrest and street violence. He drew on personal experience of The Troubles to warn that protests could become sectarianised. Poots expressed concern that deeply fired-up people might take actions causing physical harm and urged the government to be aware of escalating tensions. He blamed individuals who use social media to abuse and inflame others and called on social media companies to mitigate abuse. He chaired a meeting with elected representatives, the PSNI, and electoral authorities to address abuse directed at politicians.

Read at www.bbc.com