The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has blocked US-based anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez from entering the UK, revoking her electronic travel authorisation (ETA) just days before she was due to speak at a far-right rally in London.
Gomez, 26, a self-styled Maga influencer, had been granted permission to enter the UK last week and was scheduled to address the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May, organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The Home Secretary intervened on the grounds that Gomez's presence “would not be conducive to the public good”, a decision confirmed by a source close to Mahmood.
At a previous Unite the Kingdom rally in September last year, Gomez made inflammatory remarks, warning that “rapist Muslims” were “taking over” the UK and telling police officers to stop following orders. The event drew an estimated 100,000 attendees, making it one of the largest far-right gatherings in British history.
Following the ban, Gomez posted on X: “I’m coming to England on a boat. They can try to ban me, but they cannot ban the TRUTH. See you May 16th.” In a video, she racially abused Mahmood and claimed the ban was “because I’m not coming to rape or kill little girls”.
The Muslim Council of Britain criticised the initial approval of Gomez's ETA, citing double standards in how freedom of speech is applied. The Home Secretary's decision mirrors a similar move earlier this month when rapper Kanye West was denied entry over antisemitic comments.
