Tommy Robinson is ‘arrested underneath anti-terrorism legal guidelines’
Tommy Robinson has been ‘arrested under counter terrorism law’, according to a post on his verified social media accounts.
It comes after far right activist was warned he could be face prison for after screening a banned film to thousands of his supporters at a Trafalgar Square rally yesterday.
A complaint was later made over a film which was allegedly shown to the crowd in breach of a High Court order, with police saying officers were making further inquiries.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also on Saturday afternoon posted a one hour 45 minute film on X, in which he said he had previously avoided publishing the video because he was ‘scared’.
A post put out by his official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, this afternoon said: ‘EMERGENCY ADMIN POST – PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE!!!!
A post on Tommy Robinson’s social media account claims he has been arrested. Pictured: Tommy Robinson at a rally in Trafalgar Square on Saturday
A post on Tommy Robinson’s X account claimed the former English Defence League leader had been detained under anti-terrorism laws
‘We can confirm that Tommy Robinson has been detained by Police using powers afforded to them under the Terrorism Act 2000.
‘That’s right, you read that correctly, Tommy is being held by Police using counter terrorism legislation.
‘We will update you as and when we can.’
MailOnline has been unable to independently confirm that Robinson has been arrested.
The Metropolitan Police has told MailOnline is ‘does not recognise’ the claims made in the post and that if he had been taken into custody there was ‘no Met involvement’.
The former English Defence League leader made the claim a day after thousands of his supporters marched through central London before gathering in Trafalgar Square for his ‘Uniting The Kingdom’ rally.
The event, billed by the 41-year-old as the ‘biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen’, saw Robinson and other members of the far-right give speeches.
The crowd was also shown a documentary called Silenced – about a Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi being assaulted by another pupil in the playground at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield – despite a judge previously calling it contempt of court.
Mr Hijazi successfully sued Robinson in 2021 for libel and the former English Defence League leader, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was ordered to pay him £100,000 in damages plus costs.
After the screening yesterday Robinson had challenged the authorities to ‘take him to court’.
The event, called ‘Uniting The Kingdom’, was organised by former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson, pictured today
Posting on his X account, he wrote: ‘I’ll be jailed for two years for showing the inconceivable truth.’
He was already due before the High Court on Tuesday accused of contempt for making the film.
Robinson screened it at the rally despite the injunction banning him from repeating the claims made in it.
In response to a complaint about the film on X on Saturday evening, the Met said: ‘We did not know what films would be shown during the event. Organisers of protests are not required to share those details in advance. There is no power for us to compel them to do so.
‘Officers on duty for the event couldn’t reasonably have been aware of civil proceedings ongoing in relation to a particular film, but having now been made aware we’re making further inquiries to determine what action we need to take.’
More to follow…
