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Far-right figure Tommy Robinson arrested over alleged assault in London train station

FILE: Far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson speaks to a police officer in London, 11 November 2023
FILE: Far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson speaks to a police officer in London, 11 November 2023 Copyright  AP Photo
Copyright AP Photo
By Malek Fouda
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Former leader of the far-right English Defence League was arrested by British Transport Police after disembarking from a flight from Portugal.

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Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been arrested by British police in connection with an assault at London’s St Pancras railway station in late July.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was arrested on Monday evening after he disembarked a plane at Luton Airport. The arrest took place following a notification that Robinson had boarded an incoming flight from Faro in Portugal.

In a statement, British Transport Police (BTP) said: "Officers from BTP have tonight (4 August) arrested a 42-year-old man from Bedfordshire in connection to an assault at St Pancras station on 28 July".

"The man had been wanted for questioning after leaving the country to Tenerife in the early hours of 29 July following the incident at St Pancras."

"He was arrested on suspicion of GBH (grievous bodily harm) and will now be taken to custody for questioning," the statement said.

The BTP's statement did not name Robinson, but CCTV footage of the incident on 28 July showed the former leader of the far-right English Defence League walking next to a 64-year-old man lying on the ground and claiming that he had acted in self-defence.

In the video, which has been widely circulated online, Robinson can be heard saying: "He's come at me bruv." The clip did not show how the man ended up on the floor.

Last week, the BTP said that a man had "serious but non-life-threatening injuries" following the incident at the railway station. The man was discharged from hospital on Thursday, according to the police.

Robinson is one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain, and regularly expresses Islamophobic, racist and derogatory opinions in interviews and on social media.

He has a long history of criminal convictions, with his offences ranging from theft to assault, stalking and fraud. In 2024, he was sentenced to 18 months in jail for contempt of court after making false and inciteful statements online about a Syrian refugee.

Additional sources • AP

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