Anti-racists warned today that Tommy Robinson’s release on bail pending a retrial, will embolden racists up and down the country.
Robinson (real name Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon) was originally given a sentence of 13 months after being found guilty of contempt of court in Leeds when he almost sabotaged a sensitive trial, which he pleaded guilty too .
The judgement is extraordinary given the level of political pressure and the fact that Robinson pleaded guilty.
The “free Tommy” campaign has received support internationally from far right figures including Donald Trump’s ex-chief of staff Steve Bannon, the Islamophobic Dutch politician Geert Welders, and UKIP’s leader Gerard Batten.
Bannon refereed to Robinson as “The backbone of this country”.
American think tank The Middle East Forum spent a five-figure sum on Tommy Robinson’s legal defence and reports suggest similar organisations bankrolling a high-profile campaign to release him. The Middle East Forum has also paid for foreign far right speakers to attend “Free Tommy” rallies in London in addition to funding the far-right activist’s court defence.
However, Robinson is no working class hero. His racist politics were an inspiration for the Finsbury Park mosque attacker Darren Osborne and Anders Breivik who killed 77 people in Norway in 2012.
What happened today with Robinson’s release is a real disappointment. It will be seen by some to show that the political pressure put on from the far right for his release, including support from one of Trumps ambassadors, had its effect.
The result will now mean that the far right will be back on the streets and that the racists and fascists will feel stronger. They will feel vindicated and carry on their tirades of hate, aiming to divide ordinary people.
Stand Up To Racism held a protest outside the high the court today to show that Robinson and his supporters won’t be allowed to spread their hatred without opposition. We are building a mass anti-racist movement to defend our multicultural society.
- Hold an anti-racist forum in your town or city to discuss the rise of the far right. Invite anti-racist activists, students, trade unions and anyone else who wants to sop the likes of Robinson. Local Stand Up to Racism groups are already doing this, so get in touch. A template leaflet here
- Sign our petition saying Tommy and his racist friends aren’t welcome in your local area.
Download the petition by clicking this picture
- Leaflet your local football ground with our factsheet on the far right (see here). The far right are targeting football fans, so get an anti-racist message into your local club. The season starts on Saturday.
- Join our international conference against racism and fascism on Saturday 20 October (see facebook event here, book tickets here). Anti-racist activists from around Europe will be coming to London to discuss how we can push back against the far right. Be there.