Founder of far-right English Defense League admits contempt of court charges

LONDON — The founder of the far-right English Defense League admitted on Monday that he was in contempt of court for violating an order prohibiting him from repeating defamatory accusations against a Syrian refugee.

Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, admitted at Woolwich Crown Court that he breached the order on several occasions while giving interviews broadcast on YouTube, and in a video he broadcast during a rally in London’s Trafalgar Square in July. and that was also published. in your X account.

Robinson, 41, founder of the nationalist and anti-Islamist EDL group, is one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain. Thousands of people came out in support on Saturday in central London at a rally to unite the Kingdom that he had planned but was unable to attend because he had been imprisoned.

He has been blamed for provoking protests that turned into a week of violent disorder in England and Northern Ireland this summer after social media users falsely identified the suspect in a stabbing that killed three girls in the coastal community of Southport as an immigrant and Muslim.

Robinson has been jailed in the past for assault, contempt of court and mortgage fraud.

Robinson was banned from Twitter in 2018, but was allowed to return after Elon Musk took over the social network and then rebranded it as X. He now has 1 million followers.