Tommy Robinson has claimed he has been arrested in Canada on suspicion of an immigration offence after speaking at an event in Calgary.
The far-right figure – whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon – said he was detained on Monday before later being released. He says he has been ordered to stay in the country and hand in his passport.
Footage posted online showed Robinson being handcuffed and led to the back of a waiting car outside the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre.
Robinson – the founder of the far-right English Defence League – asked what appeared to be a plainclothes police officer: “What have I got a warrant out for?”
He responded: “You’ve got an outstanding immigration warrant. We’ll talk about it in the vehicle.”
Footage then showed Robinson, 41, being placed into a car and driven away, as he described the events as “absolutely insane”.
After saying he had been released, Robinson wrote on X: “None of this makes sense, I’m now detained in Calgary, prevented from leaving the city, these conditions stop me from continuing my tour of Canada and meeting with guests for podcasts.
“I’m not even allowed to leave to travel home.”
Robinson said he had been booked to speak in three Canadian cities by an outlet called Rebel News. He is due to speak again in Edmonton on Tuesday and Toronto on Sunday.
Ezra Levant from Rebel News made appeals on X for donations to cover Robinson’s legal fees.
Levant wrote on the social media platform: “Tommy Robinson had just given a major speech to about 150 Calgarians about freedom of speech, lawfare and his battles in the UK.
“No sooner had he finished that speech and walked outside than he was swarmed by 10 police officers who put him in the back of one of three police vehicles and drove him off. We asked what the charge was, but the police refused to say.”
Levant posted a video of Robinson following his supposed release from arrest.
He told Levant that he was “banned from leaving Calgary” and had to hand his passport to authorities on Tuesday morning.
“I have to give them the address of where I am, notify them of any hotel that I’m staying in,” Robinson said.
i approached the Calgary Police Service for comment and confirmation of Robinson’s arrest, but the force did not immediately respond.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
