Welcome To Zelo Street!

This is a blog of liberal stance and independent mind

Wednesday 3 October 2018

Tommy Robinson Seeks Martyrdom

For someone whose Facebook page is usually the first place where he posts his latest news and thoughts, Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, has been unduly reticent one one subject, and that is what he intends to do when his retrial for allegations of contempt of court resumes at the Old Bailey later this month.
There is lots of braggadocio concerning the interview he gave to Jason Farrell of Sky News, and that he’s going to sue them for libel (if he does, he’ll get laughed out of court, or find himself in receipt of a reference to Arkell versus Pressdram 1971), and that he wants to see a demonstration outside the Bailey on the day of his trial, but one thing is missing.

Fortunately, The Great Man’s thoughts have been captured on video. In yet another interview, this time recorded while he was away in Germany last weekend, he reaffirmed that “On the 23rd of October, I will probably go back to prison”. Why so certain?

I am going to read a statement in court … so I sat down with my solicitors … I sacked my solicitors [my emphasis], because they tried to broker a deal, where I apologise, and I admit guilt, and then if I do that, then I go home. I said I’m never going to do that … they were working for the other side [my emphasis], that’s what I felt. I said ‘this is an historic moment, and I want to speak and stand by my convictions’”. Do go on.

So I’m going to stand up in court, and I’m going to read a statement that basically stand up for the people of Britain [!]. It tells THE TRUTH about Mohammed. It tells THE TRUTH about Islam, and there are not many moments that will come like this”.
There was more about how he had to sit down his wife and children and tell them why he was making this grand gesture, and even the suggestion that his going to jail would somehow save an unspecified number of girls and young women from rape.

We also get “The same weekend I did it, three other reporters breached the same restriction, the same weekend”. It is unlikely that any judge is going to be impressed by someone with Lennon’s track record trying to tell them to “Look over there”.

But it isn’t about saving anyone. It is, as before, about Himself Personally Now. And for anyone not sure what Stephen Lennon is trying to do here, let me spell it out.

He makes sure there is a crowd outside the Old Bailey on the day of his retrial. He gets speakers to turn up to support him; these get the mob fired up. Then he goes into court and effectively dares the judge to send him down, to make him a martyr.

When he gets sent down, the duly fired-up mob goes on the rampage, laying siege to the Old Bailey and preventing their hero from being taken off to jail. Police officers, passers-by, counter-protesters, all get attacked. Lawyers, politicians, journalists, all are threatened and of course disbelieved. Only the great Tommy is to be believed.

That is the level of delusion playing right now in Stephen Lennon’s mind. Meanwhile, no girls or young women will be saved. But that was never the point of this charade.
Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by adding to its Just Giving page at

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Give it a rest, you are just making it up now, don't forget you had the perfect chance to air your views about him personally. At least he gets out of the house and stands up for what he believes in.

Neil said...

He's certainly looking for Martyrdom. Was this conversation had at Stephen Yaxley-Lennon's Last Supper? I assume his ex-legal advisors were Judas & Iscariot Solicitors.

Should he lose the opportunity for martyrdom and loses his support from Rebel Media, will there be a moment when he cries out, 'Levant, Levant why hast thou forsaken me?'.

I'm probably going to Hell for this comment.

Anonymous said...

Oh, @Anonymous. The 'at least he... ' argument is one for the playground.

Try harder.

Stephen said...

He wants his Brievik moment, bless him.

Jonathan said...

Tommy boy is a little narcissit..

Arnold said...

If he thinks he'll be allowed to make a political statement in court, he's very much mistaken. I can see another contempt of court charge being added to the others.

Graeme Rayner said...

Funny how the Tommeh support is "anonymous", huh? SYL is out for a higher profile, not to protect victims or potential victims of child rape, but to increase his earning potential. If his concern was child safety, he would have spent his time focusing on all predators, not just brown ones. This would be uncomfortable for him, given how many are not Muslim and how many are high profile members of right wing groups like his own beloved EDL

Anonymous said...

Indeed, Fenton is still there hence . .. ...

Tim Fenton said...

@1

I would have responded to your comment earlier, but I was out of the house.

Have a nice day.

Anonymous said...

Let him have his "martyrdom".

The real world will say, "Choke on that, sucker."

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:53 – He’d better make the most of getting out of the house now, coz with any luck he will be inside a cell with big, sweaty Bubba and his three cell mates for a long, long time.

In fact I believe he has been told time and time again that there is no way for him to get out of this – especially as he has already admitted it – so he is doing all he can to make it look like the authorities are out to get him by pretending to blow the lid off, because he never says sorry.

Anonymous said...


The correct response to Robinson is not to ban him, attempt to smear him, attacking the messenger and ignoring the message but to beat him at his own game with better arguments, and a progressive politics that speaks to the public and not just to itself.

Trouble is Sky, BBC, MSM in general have failed badly in this regard. Their poorly researched and badly aimed attempts at interviews have been counter-productive. This blog in it's hatred is no better. The police and judiciary in attempting to equate Robinson as no better than muslim terrorists is indulging in evasion tactics to cover their institutional lack of will to tackle the problem of islamic extremists, thinking "community cohesion" more important. Except the man in the street or on the Clapham omnibus can see it is not the far right killing people indiscriminately and do not see any of the political class representing them. It is these attitudes that see the rise of "populism". No amount of no platforming, space spaces, silencing or banging people up for "hate speech" when expressing an opinion we don't agree with will work. The correct arguments and politics will, and we obviously don't have them yet, and you cannot, must not, force these on people if they don't listen. Whither Corbyn's kinder politics a more caring society?

Ceiliog said...

@Anon 13:07
Does the man on the Clapham omnibus ignore the hundreds of thousands of civilians killed by bombs and missiles from western military forces?
Strange how revenge is acceptable if those killed or harmed are of European descent, but others should sit back and do nothing.