Tommy Robinson is tough. Not in an intimidating way, but in the way that you know he is strong and firm in his beliefs. He exudes a confidence that you only see from those who know they are doing the right thing.
This strength is what made it so much more powerful when he broke down in tears telling a story about his son on the eve of his retrial that could potentially see him imprisoned once again.
Tommy Robinson
Robinson could be sentenced to more prison time on Tuesday, when a judge rehears his contempt of court case.
On Monday evening, at a English pub just outside Luton, Robinson held a lively dinner with his more ardent supporters.
After a round of introductions by Ezra Levant, the founder of Rebel Media and Robinson’s former employer — the man of the hour addressed his supporters with a powerful impromptu speech.
Levant has gone above and beyond in his support, which Robinson acknowledged heavily — even crowdfunding to get this reporter, and three others, to London to cover the trial.
“So many people here have put their reputations on the line even coming into contact or getting involved,” Robinson began, repeatedly saying that he believes the people in the room have been a better friend to him than he has been in return.
Robinson explained that he is going to court tomorrow and will be reading a statement after getting rid of one of his legal representatives who attempted to get him to plead guilty. He also happens to be a judge at the Old Bailey — where Robinson’s case is being heard.
“I’m not going to pay tens of thousands to plead guilty,” Robinson asserted to applause and cheers from the dinner guests.
The passionate activist and independent journalist explained that his new barrister is also certain that he will be returning to prison, since he refuses to plead guilty.
The statement Robinson is preparing to read will detail other cases in which outlets accused of prejudicing a trial were simply fined — or ignored.
Robinson also went into detail about the unfairness of the court refusing to give him a jury trial.
“There is no prosecutor — the judge is the prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner,” Robinson stated. He added that the case should have been sent to the Attorney General like other similar cases have been in the past.
“I don’t know if it’s to punish me again or to safe guard themselves from a false imprisonment lawsuit,” Robinson noted.
Robinson explained that there is a website that was meant to list reporting restrictions for trials and that he has a screenshot proving none were listed for the trial he was arrested outside of. He also said that there wasn’t a notice on the door, as should be protocol.
After explaining the details of the trial, Robinson turned to the ramifications of his persecution.
“I always say, what’s the cause? Does the cause benefit?” Robinson said.
“When I sat in jail, I sat there unhappy, but there’s a video of me in prison and I’m in a cage and walk up to the camera and I’m smiling — because more people than ever are talking about the rape —“ he paused, choking up.
“I said it as I was getting into the van, more people than ever will know about them making rape slaves of these girls,” Robinson said of the grooming gangs that he had been reporting on. “Five million people saw that video that day”
“Even tomorrow if the worst happens —“ his voice cracked, he looked away, holding back tears. “I take satisfaction that if the worst happens — the best still happens.”
An emotional Robinson, fighting to contain tears, began talking about how he worked to prepare his children for the possibility that he will go back to prison.
“I explained this to my son last week, I told him ‘look at your 11-year-old sister — these men are doing terrible things’,” he stopped, overcome with emotion. “Say I go to prison, if there was a girl like your sister and bad men were doing terrible things — and me going to jail saves just one girl — would you want me to go?”
His son said yes.
“That’s how I convinced myself it’s all good, and he agreed,” Robinson said, recomposing himself.
“The future is the attempts to silence us and stop us — the thing they don’t understand is that every time they do it they make us bigger and louder,” Robinson asserted.
“I’m ready to go to court tomorrow,” he said confidently.
Things took an emotional turn once again though, when Robinson asserted that he has thought about the change his death might provoke.
“I thought if I get killed then it will bring about the change in this country —“ Robinson said, as the crowd went silent enough to hear a pin drop. “When I went to prison and I saw the movement I smiled and thought — I think it would.”
“If you kill or behead me I win — it would be a defining moment that wakes the people up,” Robinson said, looking around to make sure his wife wasn’t in the room to be upset about his remark.
“The hardest part is getting people to listen. When they listen they hear the truth,” he said.
In May, Robinson was arrested for contempt of court while filming outside a Pakistani grooming gang trial in Leeds, as the case was under a reporting ban. In August, the charge was struck down by Lord Chief Justice Burnett and two other judges — but he will now be subjected to a retrial.
Robinson’s reporting is heavily focused on Islamic extremism and his imprisonment stemmed from an arrest last year, also for contempt of court, when he was trying to film Muslims who were on trial for another grooming gang in Canterbury.
The arrest and same-day imprisonment of Robinson led to thousands of people going out in the streets to protest.
Robinson was imprisoned from May until August. During his detention, he lost over 40 pounds due to concerns about the inmates preparing his meals. He repeatedly complained to the prison and requested that they raise the £12 per week commissary spending limit so that he could purchase more packaged food, but they would not allow him to.
The Gateway Pundit will be at the trial covering the judge’s decision and any protest or rallies that take place, thanks to a generous effort from Rebel Media to crowdfund more fair reporters in the courtroom.
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