Tommy Robinson remanded in custody ahead of court date
Far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson has been arrested before a significant rally planned by his supporters in London this weekend.
Kent Police reported that a 41-year-old man has been taken into custody following instructions from the High Court. He is scheduled to appear at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday to face charges related to contempt of court.
The police stated that Robinson, who is actually named Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, faces charges for reportedly refusing to give officers the PIN for his phone when they stopped and questioned him at the Folkestone border in July.
He was released on bail regarding that accusation and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 13.
The accusation linked to the Terrorism Act does not suggest that he was plotting an attack; it is simply about the police's authority to inspect phones at ports during their investigations.
Yaxley-Lennon could be facing prison time during the contempt of court hearing scheduled for Monday.
He is said to have violated a court order that prohibited him from making false statements about a Syrian refugee, which a judge had already determined were defamatory.
A little while after he arrived at the Folkestone police station on Friday afternoon, the official Tommy Robinson X account announced that he had been arrested.
The decision to arrest Yaxley-Lennon occurs just a day before a significant police operation aimed at managing a protest that could draw thousands of his followers.
For several weeks, he had been posting from overseas, encouraging them to join him in London on Saturday. He argued that the government was attempting to suppress him for voicing his opinions on the effects of immigration in the UK.
Leaders of the Metropolitan Police have implemented a major plan to manage the protest and keep it apart from a conflicting demonstration.
The Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police will receive assistance from officers from various police departments nationwide. The Met has stated that there will be a substantial number of officers present to maintain distance between the two groups.
It's uncertain how many people will show up, but a comparable event in London last July attracted thousands of Robinson fans to Trafalgar Square.
The activist, known for creating the now-disbanded English Defence League, has faced criticism for allegedly inflaming tensions during the riots that occurred over the summer.
Yaxley-Lennon has not faced any charges in connection with the incidents.
