Tommy Robinson, who left the UK last week, has been accused of fanning the flames of far-right riots following the knife attack in Southport.
The anti-Islam activist, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has left the country after being released on unconditional bail following his arrest in Kent the previous weekend, the High Court was told.
A new arrest warrant has been issued for the founder of the English Defence League (EDL) after he failed to attend a hearing in a court case for contravening a court order.
Follow live coverage of the UK riots here
But since then, Robinson has been posting regularly on social media about the ongoing wave of disorder.
The 41-year-old has been posting comments and videos documenting the riots, describing the unrest as the result of “legitimate concerns” and calling for “mass deportations”.
Campaigners accused Robinson of playing a major role in inciting violence against ethnic minority groups.
A spokesperson for Hope Not Hate said: “There is no doubt that Tommy Robinson’s social media played a really significant role in these far-right demonstrations.” Independent.
“Tommy Robinson’s reach has grown since the X account was relaunched last year. His last two demos in London have attracted tens of thousands of people and X now has over 800,000 followers, meaning he once again has a massive reach online.
“Following Monday’s horrific attack, Tommy Robinson has been tweeting regularly branding Islam a mental health issue, sharing videos of disorder and encouraging people to attend future demonstrations. One said: ‘Get out there and show your support. People need to stand up.’
“We know it was instrumental in the unrest in Southport on Tuesday. Protesters were chanting Tommy Robinson’s name and ‘Who the f*ck is Allah?’ These are slogans that are often heard at far-right demonstrations.”
Riots broke out across parts of England on Monday after three young girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport, Merseyside.
The attacker is alleged to be 17-year-old Axel Muganwa Rudakubana from Lancashire, but false claims have spread online that the suspect is a Muslim asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2023.
Many of the demonstrations targeted mosques and other Muslim religious buildings.
Sabby Dhalu, co-coordinator of Stand up to Racism, said: Independent“What we are seeing in Liverpool, Hull, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Southport and elsewhere is not just violent disorder and thuggery. It is racist, Islamophobic, fascist riots and targeted attacks on mosques, refugees and anyone who is not white.
“Tommy Robinson is deliberately stoking racism and Islamophobia while on the run. It is no coincidence that the riots came just days after Robinson mobilised 15,000 people in Trafalgar Square last week. Fascists have been emboldened.
“But this did not come out of a vacuum. It is the product of politicians fanning the flames of Islamophobia and racism and making people worse off. The only way to defeat this movement is to unite, to mobilise against fascism and to stand against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.”
The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) claimed Robinson was “fanning the fires of violence” in the UK from afar.
“MAB and other civil society organisations have been warning for over 23 years about the growing threat from the far-right and the dangers of portraying Islam and Muslims as the main threat to British security and, sadly, our warnings have proven correct,” a spokesman said. Independent.
“Political and socioeconomic failures have given rise to criminals like Tommy Robinson, who have fled the country and fanned the flames of violence and terror.
“During the Brexit campaign in 2016, warning signs were ignored, allowing the far-right to grow in influence.
“The government’s position in favour of the far-right by labelling their actions as ‘legitimate concerns’ has made the situation worse rather than addressing the very real danger of far-right extremism. In the current wave of unrest, mosques have been targeted, Muslims and other minorities have been attacked in the streets, and businesses have been looted and vandalised.”
It is unclear where Robinson is exactly, but photos emerged on Sunday claiming he was at a hotel in Cyprus.
On the same day, a reporter working for Robinson’s online platform was forced to leave the scene after violent incidents broke out outside a hotel for asylum seekers in Rotherham, where a crowd clashed with police and started a fire.
“It’s not very safe there, tensions are still high,” Robinson wrote on X. “The organizers of the demonstration are extremely disappointed as they wanted a peaceful protest today.”