Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a prominent figure in the far-right movement, was taken into police custody during a protest against antisemitism in London. Despite warnings from event organizers to refrain from attending, Yaxley-Lennon chose to participate.
Tommy Robinson, also known as Yaxley-Lennon and aged 40, was taken into custody on Sunday when police instructed him to vacate the premises.
He was arrested while participating in a protest against the rise of antisemitism targeting Jewish individuals in Britain, which has escalated since the crisis in the Middle East following the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7th.
The organizers reported that approximately 60,000 individuals participated in the central London march, making it the largest demonstration against antisemitism since 1936. This was when demonstrators stood up to Oswald Mosley’s blackshirts at Cable Street in east London.
The video on X depicts Yaxley-Lennon being instructed to depart from a cafe by law enforcement, despite having already placed an order for breakfast. The leader of the far-right movement declined to comply with the police and argued that he was present at the protest in his capacity as a journalist.
Subsequent video shows him being escorted by law enforcement.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned Yaxley-Lennon, whose followers were involved in violent clashes with the police on November 11. They asserted that they were safeguarding the Cenotaph from a large pro-Palestinian procession held on Armistice Day, even though it did not pass by the war memorial.
According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police, they were asked about the arrest of Yaxley-Lennon and responded that at approximately 1:30 PM on Saturday, November 26th, a 40-year-old man was arrested on the Strand as part of the policing and security efforts for the March Against Antisemitism.
The individual had declined to follow a request to disperse as stated in section 35 of the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act.
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In the past few days, we have been communicating often with the march organizers. They have expressed their worries about the man’s presence and the potential fear it may cause for other participants. This same concern has also been raised by others.
Due to this, he was repeatedly advised and cautioned that his presence in the vicinity could potentially cause discomfort, concern, and disturbance to others. He was instructed to vacate the area, but he refused.
“We understand that the man had claimed to be a journalist while in the area, but this was not a determining factor in his arrest.”
A series of five major protests organized by pro-Palestinian groups have taken place in central London, causing concern among some Jewish individuals who now feel afraid to visit the area.
According to Gideon Falter, who is the CEO of Campaign Against Antisemitism, Jews are increasingly avoiding central London due to ongoing incidents of antisemitism.
Unfortunately, Jews do not feel secure in our nation’s capital.
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“That is the reason why today’s protest, with tens of thousands in attendance, was the biggest demonstration against antisemitism since the historic Battle of Cable Street back in 1936.”
Today, the call for action has been made by the voice of morality. British Jews do not trust that the police handle antisemitic hate crime with the same severity as other forms of hate crime. It is long overdue for the police to show that they are not in fact neglecting these crimes.
Source: theguardian.com
