by Tommy Robinson has been accused of fomenting far-right riots following the Southport knife attack from afar after he left the UK last week.
The High Court was told on Monday that an anti-Islam activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had left the country after being released on unconditional bail following his arrest in Kent the previous weekend.
A fresh warrant has been issued for the arrest of the founder of the English Defense League (EDL) after he failed to attend a scheduled contempt of court hearing.
Follow live coverage of the UK riots here
But in the days since, Robinson has been posting regularly about the ongoing wave of chaos on social media.
The 41-year-old has been posting commentary and running videos documenting the riots, describing the disorder as a result of “legitimate concerns” and calling for “mass deportations”.
Robinson’s campaigners have accused Robinson of playing a key role in fueling violence aimed at ethnic minority groups.
“There is no doubt that Tommy Robinson’s social media plays a very important role in these far-right demonstrations,” said a spokesperson for Hope Not Hate The Independent.
“Tommy Robinson’s reach has grown since his X account was reinstated last year. His last two shows in London attracted tens of thousands of people and his X has over 800,000 followers, meaning he’s very relevant online again.
“Following Monday’s horrific attack, Tommy Robinson has been tweeting regularly calling Islam a mental health issue, sharing riotous videos and encouraging participation in future demonstrations. One person said: ‘go there and show your support. People have to stand up.’
“We know he was influential in the disturbance on Tuesday in Southport, there were rioters chanting Tommy Robinson’s name and “Who the f*** Allah?” – these are chants heard regularly at demonstrations on the right.”
Riots broke out across Wales after the killing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport, Merseyside, on Monday.
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, from Lancashire, is accused of carrying out the attack, but false claims have been circulated online that the suspect is a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2023.
Some of the demonstrations targeted mosques and other Muslim religious buildings.
Sabby Dhalu, co-convener of Stand up to Racism said The Independent: “What we see in Liverpool, Hull, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Southport and other places, is not only violent disorder and tuggery. They are racist, Islamophobic, fascist riots, with targeted attacks on Mosques, asylum seekers and anyone who is not white.
“Tommy Robinson is deliberately stoking racism and Islamophobia, while on the run. It is no accident that the riots happened days after Robinson mobilized 15,000 in Trafalgar Square last week. Fascists are emboldened.
“However, this did not come out of a vacuum. It is the result of politicians stirring up Islamophobia and racism, and people making it worse. The only way to defeat this movement is to unite, mobilize against fascism and stand against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.”
The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) claimed that Robinson was “fanning the flames of violence” in the UK.
“For over 23 years, MAB and other civil society organizations have warned of the growing threat from the far south and the dangers of Islamists and making Muslims appear as a key threat to British security; Sadly, our warnings have been proven correct,” said a spokesperson The Independent.
“Political and socio-economic failures have given rise to people like Tommy Robinson, a criminal who fled the country, and who is fanning the flames of violence and terror.
“The warning signs were ignored during the Brexit campaign in 2016, allowing the far right to grow in influence.
“The situation has worsened due to the government’s pressure on the far right by labeling their actions as ‘legitimate concerns’ rather than addressing the real danger of far-right extremism. The current wave of riots has seen mosques targeted, Muslims and other minorities attacked in the streets, and businesses looted and burned to the ground.”
Robinson’s whereabouts are unclear. However, photographs emerged on Sunday purporting to show him at a hotel in Cyprus.
On the same day, online platform reporter Robinson was forced to leave the scene of violent disorder in Rotherham outside a hotel housing asylum seekers after a crowd clashed with police and started fires .
“It’s not very safe there, tensions are still high”, Robinson wrote on X: “The organizers of the demonstration are extremely disappointed as they want a peaceful protest today.”
