Far-right activist Tommy Robinson detained at Heathrow Airport under anti-terrorism laws

British police detained far-right activist Tommy Robinson at London Heathrow Airport on Saturday, citing anti-terrorism legislation. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, stated that his mobile phones were confiscated under Section 3 of the 2019 Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act.

Robinson used social media to describe his detention, which lasted nearly three hours, and claimed the confiscation of his iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices was an attempt to identify his sources. He appealed to his supporters for financial donations to cover legal expenses. A spokesperson for Robinson issued a statement on platform X, characterizing the action as "an attack on freedom of speech and investigative journalism."

The 2019 act empowers port and airport police officers to stop, question, and search individuals suspected of traveling to plan, prepare, or commit hostile acts. The specific reasons for Robinson's detention have not been publicly disclosed, and the Metropolitan Police declined to comment on the case.

Robinson's detention comes amid heightened racial tensions in the UK. He has recently been vocal about several incidents, including the death of an 18-year-old in police custody in Southampton, which he used to coordinate protests. He also shared footage of a man allegedly threatening another with a knife in Belfast, which he linked to refugee status. In July 2024, Robinson was acquitted in a similar case involving refusal to grant police access to his phone at the Eurotunnel terminal.

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Most likely they want to see who he is communicating with and identify his sources, sources that will expose politicians for their role in the abuse of a generation of young British girls. This is an attack on freedom of speech and investigative journalism, nothing more, nothing less.