Tommy Robinson permanently banned from Twitter
EDL founder's personal and news pages are suspended
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Your support makes all the difference.Tommy Robinson has been permanently banned from Twitter.
The EDL founder’s personal page and another account that appears to be associated with him have been suspended and are inaccessible.
When asked about the ban Twitter cited its hateful conduct policy. The policy prohibits the promotion of both violence and incitement of harm towards others, on a number of grounds.
The social network did not respond to questions about the specific reasons for the ban.
The Independent has contacted Tommy Robinson for comment.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, left the EDL in 2013 but has remained politically active.
He was suspended by Twitter earlier this month before having his account reactivated.
He was also one of a number of right-wing figures to see his verified status removed in November after Twitter issued new guidelines for “blue tick” accounts in the wake of public pressure.
Robinson’s Facebook page remains intact, with some 700,000 fans.
In February the outgoing head of UK anti-terror policing said there was “no doubt” material posted online by Robinson had contributed to the radicalisation of Finsbury Park mosque attacker Darren Osborne.
“He had grown to hate Muslims largely due his consumption of large amounts of online far-right material including, as evidenced at court, statements from former EDL leader Tommy Robinson, Britain First and others,” Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said.
“Osborne had a ‘dysfunctional’ background and history of alcohol and drug abuse, and violence. There can be no doubt that the extremist rhetoric he consumed fed into his vulnerabilities and turned it into violence.”