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Tommy Robinson arrested after 'trying to film Muslims' outside court

'I’m being arrested for going to a court case in Canterbury and trying to video the Muslim paedophiles,' says former EDL leader

Maya Oppenheim
Friday 12 May 2017 16:53 BST
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In Britain, any filming and recording of courts and court precincts is illegal under section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 and the Contempt of Court Act
In Britain, any filming and recording of courts and court precincts is illegal under section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 and the Contempt of Court Act (Getty)

Tommy Robinson has been arrested after he attempted “to video Muslims” outside a court.

The former English Defence League leader shared a video claiming he was being arrested on his official Facebook account on Wednesday morning.

Mr Robinson said: “It’s 4.32 and the police are at my house, and I’m being arrested for going to a court case in Canterbury and trying to video the Muslim paedophiles.”

The clip then shows footage of two police officers inside what appears to be a kitchen and one of the officer's proceeding to tell him he cannot use his phone.

A message posted on Mr Robinson's Twitter account claimed he had been arrested “on charges relating to attempted journalism”.

A spokesman for Kent Police told The Independent an arrest had been made.

He said: “As you know, we are unable to confirm or deny whether or not a named individual has been arrested for a particular offence. However, I am aware of the video that is currently online so am therefore able to provide you with the following.

“On the morning of Wednesday 10 May 2017 officers attended an address in Luton, Bedfordshire, and arrested a 34-year-old man for contempt of court.

“The arrest is in relation to an incident at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday 8 May 2017.”

In Britain, any filming and recording of courts and court precincts is illegal under section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925 and the Contempt of Court Act.

Kent Live reported that Mr Robinson and his cameraman from Rebel Media, a fringe right-wing Canadian media company, went to Canterbury Crown Court on Monday claiming they wanted to speak to the defendants of an ongoing rape trial.

On a separate note, Mr Robinson, who led the EDL from 2009 until October 2013, was condemned or launching into a tirade about Islamic extremism at the scene of the Westminster attack.

Mr Robinson announced he was leaving the EDL in 2013 in a joint conference with think tank Quilliam. His departure was widely covered, with the former leader later telling police he would help with their investigations into alleged racists within the extremist group.

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