Supporters of now imprisoned British nationalist and activist Tommy Robinson reportedly marched on the British Parliament Thursday to protest his incarceration.
As many as 200 protesters gathered outside the Old Bailey court in central London, clashing with riot police as Robinson’s prison sentence was announced, Reuters reports. The crowd of his supporters reportedly chanted “we want Tommy out,” and threw bottles and cans at police, the BBC reports.
Robinson was found in contempt of court last week for violating a reporting ban by video-recording defendants who were accused of sexually abusing young girls outside a Leeds courthouse in May 2018, according to Reuters. He sentenced to six months in prison for the incident and three more months for a previous contempt of court.
Police said no arrest have been made related to the protest, the BBC said.
Robinson arrived in court reportedly wearing a t-shirt that read “Convicted of Journalism” on the front, and “Britain = North Korea” on the back. (RELATED: Tommy Robinson To Appeal 13-Month Jail Sentence)
Massive Protests Outside UK Parliament as Tommy Robinson Jailed, Thousands Take To The Streets: If not now, when? https://t.co/tDhWlNH98A pic.twitter.com/7T7IhlAhUL
— Pamela Geller (@PamelaGeller) July 11, 2019
Court judges said that Robinson’s actions in recording the defendants may have “impeded” the “course of justice.”
“By aggressively confronting and filming some of the defendants in that case as they arrived at court, he interfered with the course of justice,” Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said in a statement, according to Fox News.
“He also approached defendants and told his followers to ‘harass them,'” he continued, adding that the broadcast “contained information in breach of reporting restrictions.”
Cox re-initiated contempt proceedings against Robinson, leading to his conviction last week at a hearing, Reuters reports.
Robinson “approves and encourages vigilante action,” and his followers would have taken his recording of the defendants as “an incitement to engage in harassment of the defendants,” judge Victoria Sharp said during her ruling, according to Reuters.
Robinson rose to prominence as an outspoken public figure against Islamism in the UK, also founding the nationalist group the English Defense League (EDL).
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