English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson was arrested in Calgary moments after delivering a speech on censorship and government overreach.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was arrested in Calgary under an outstanding immigration warrant right after a talk organized by Rebel News. It was supposed to be the first stop of a three-city tour across Canada.
According to Robinson, his release from jail, was conditional on him forfeiting his passport to Canadian authorities and remaining in southern Alberta – between Red Deer and the United States border – pending the outcome of an immigration hearing.
In a video surreptitiously recorded by Robinson in the backseat of the law enforcement vehicle he was placed in after his arrest, an officer told Robinson that he was charged under an outstanding immigration warrant.
The officer tells him that the Canada Border Services Agency ordered his arrest after finding a discrepancy between Robinsons’ criminal record and what he had when applying for his travel authorization to enter Canada.
“Isn’t it mad how tough you get with immigration on the wrong people? It’s mental, isn’t it?” Robinson told the officers in the video. “You act like absolute spineless cowards as a country letting…whoever into your country, you don’t know nothing about them, their criminal histories, or anything, their ideologies, and then you turn up…for me giving a talk at a seminar.”
The officer said he thought it was ironic that Robinson was talking about letting people into Canada who have criminal records and then accuses him of lying about his criminal record at the border.
Robinson denied the claim, saying his “boss” had done the application.
After his release, Robinson said that he had been questioned and spent three hours at immigration on his entry into Canada last week.
Robinson has become a popular figure in the anti-immigration movement in the U.K. and other European countries.
He was previously found to be in contempt of court in May 2018, when he filmed and live-streamed immigrant men outside of Leeds Crown Court in England who were accused of the sexual exploitation of young girls.
The judge in that case noted that he also had 11 previous convictions, including offences involving violence, fraud, and disobeying court orders.
The Calgary Police Service told True North it was only involved in the arrest “to keep the peace” and assist CBSA, who made the arrest.
Jordan Peterson was scheduled to meet Robinson and has posted on X that he is willing to meet him in Red Deer, Alta. instead. Peterson said the arrest would have a “Streisand effect,” making more people listen to Robinson than ever.
“The police are now being used directly as political agents of the state. I don’t know who ordered this, but it’s not acceptable. You idiot lefties might be pleased about this in this situation but don’t be thinking that once established, this won’t be used against you,” Peterson said on X about the arrest.
CBSA did not respond to True North’s requests by deadline.