Who is Tommy Robinson? What is the protest about today, what are his beliefs - why did he change his name, is he a racist?
A national demonstration held by activist Tommy Robinson will take to the streets of London today.
The Unite the Kingdom march and rally organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, will see demonstrators arrive in Stamford Street near Waterloo Bridge at 11am to march towards the southern end of Whitehall. The march will begin at 11:30am.
Rumblings on social media boast it will be the "biggest free speech rally" the world has ever seen after first being announced in May. Right-wing patriots and anti-racism campaigners have clashed in recent months over asylum seekers being housed in hotels and 'Operation Raise the Colours' - which has seen the St George's flag painted onto roundabouts and hung from lampposts across the country.
Right-wing commentators say the main basis for the 'Unite the Kingdom' march is the alleged erosion of free speech. The imprisonment of Lucy Connolly for tweeting that hotels housing asylum seekers in Southport should be "burnt down" was met with fierce opposition from this group.
Other topics previously mentioned such as Operation Raise the Colours and asylum seekers being housed in hotels is also a key drive in the popularity of this event. Tommy Robinson has promoted the rally on Saturday 13 September as a “stand against tyranny,” urging followers not to wear masks, avoid heavy drinking, and resist confrontation.
The ‘Unite The Kingdom Free Speech Festival’ is part of the growing Unite The Kingdom movement. It says on its website: “Set to be the largest outdoor free speech event the UK has ever seen, this landmark day will bring together outspoken voices, political disruptors, and fearless truth-tellers from across Europe and the United States—uniting in a powerful stand for liberty, truth, and the right to speak freely.
“Leading the charge is Tommy Robinson—journalist, campaigner, and founder of Urban Scoop. As host, Tommy will anchor the event with his trademark grit and unfiltered honesty, introducing speakers and guiding a day that’s set to shake the political and cultural landscape.”
Who is Tommy Robinson?
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – his real name – grew up in Luton, Bedfordshire, which had a large Muslim minority. The name ‘Tommy Robinson’ is understood to have come from a prominent member of the Luton Town MIGs, a football hooligan crew which follows Luton Town.
In 2004, he joined the far-right British National Party, but left a year later. He was apprenticed as an aircraft engineer at the town’s airport, but was sentenced to a year in jail after he assaulted an off-duty police officer during a drunken row in 2005.
With a group of like-minded young men, he founded the English Defence League (EDL) in 2009, reportedly having been angered by local Islamists trying to recruit men in Luton to fight for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Robinson stood down as the group’s leader in 2013, citing fears over the “dangers of far-right extremism”. The same year, he publicly apologised to Muslim communities and offered to give evidence to the police to aid their investigation into EDL members.
In 2018, he was jailed for 13 months for breaking contempt of court laws with a Facebook Live video that could have prejudiced a trial. He was already subject to a suspended sentence for committing contempt during a rape trial in Canterbury the year before.
He was arrested in July 2024 under anti-terror laws over allegations he breached a 2021 High Court order. The order banned Robinson from repeating libellous allegations he made against Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi. When a clip of the incident went viral, Robinson made false claims, including about Mr Hijazi attacking girls in his school, which prompted the libel case.
In addition, he is facing a separate trial in October next year over an accusation that he failed to provide the Pin for his mobile phone when stopped by Kent Police in Folkestone in July 2024.
What are his beliefs?
Tommy Robinson is a big believer in free speech, hence Saturday 13th’s protest being dubbed as a ‘Free Speech Festival’. He holds anti-Islam views as he has long argued that Islam as a religion poses a threat to British society and culture.
He promotes a vision of strong British identity and nationalism, often framing himself as defending "traditional British values" against what he sees as erosion from immigration and multiculturalism. He has consistently criticized immigration - particularly from Muslim-majority countries - claiming it threatens social cohesion and security.
In one post on X he wrote: “Murder after murder in Sadiq Khan's crime ridden London. Yet the Met Police are busy jumping out their vehicles and grabbing Christian street preachers because the Bible is "offending" people.”
He frequently claims that politicians, media, and police are complicit in covering up crimes (especially grooming gang scandals) for fear of being labeled racist or Islamophobic. The activist denies being racist. He has said that the problem is with Islam, not with race. However, his critics argue his rhetoric contributes to racial and religious hatred.