Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was detained by police at Heathrow Airport on Saturday under counter-terrorism laws. The 43-year-old was stopped and had his phones seized under section 3 of the Counter-Terrorism Border Security Act 2019.
Robinson claimed on social media that he was held for nearly three hours and had his iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones taken. He appealed to supporters for donations to fund his legal defence. A spokesperson for Robinson posted on X: 'They likely want to see who he is talking to, and maybe find out who his sources are, sources who will expose politicians for their part in the rape of a generation of British girls. This is an attack on free speech, this is an attack on investigative journalism, nothing more nothing less.'
The 2019 act grants police powers at ports to stop, question, search and detain individuals suspected of travelling to plan, prepare or carry out hostile acts. The Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the specific reason for the stop.
Robinson has recently gained prominence amid racial tensions in Britain, following the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in police custody in Southampton. He led protests in the city where clashes left 13 officers and a police dog injured. He also amplified footage of a man, believed to be a Sudanese refugee, wielding a knife in Belfast in a suspected attempted murder.
Robinson posted details of planned demonstrations across Britain and Northern Ireland on X, which were shared by Elon Musk to his 240 million followers. In July 2024, Robinson was cleared of a terror charge after refusing to give police access to his phone during a stop at the Channel tunnel in Folkestone.
