Who is Tommy Robinson and why does Elon Musk want him freed from jail?

Earlier DU thread: Elon Musk's calls for Tommy Robinson release anger Labour MPs (fucking Musk shilling for another nazi thug again)

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Source: NBC News

Who is Tommy Robinson and why does Elon Musk want him freed from jail?

Robinson is serving an 18-month jail sentence for contempt of court, a charge stemming from a libelous video in which he falsely claimed a refugee teenager was a violent thug.

Jan. 3, 2025, 12:30 PM EST
By Alexander Smith

LONDON —A convicted fraudster with a violent criminal record, Tommy Robinson is well known as the leader of the English far right, inspiring rallies of mostly white, mostly male followers shouting soccer-style chants against Islam and immigration.

It has been jarring then, for many Britons to see Robinson — whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — become the latest cause championed by the richest person on the planet, Elon Musk.

“Free Tommy Robinson!” the billionaire entrepreneur and adviser to President-elect Donald Trump posted to his X social media network Thursday.

Robinson, 42, is serving an 18-month jail sentence for contempt of court, a charge stemming from a libelous video in which he falsely claimed a Syrian refugee teenager was a violent thug.

Widely disliked in Britain, ...

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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/tommy-robinson-elon-musk-want-freed-jail-rcna186084