Elon Musk Calls for Release of Jailed Far-Right Activist Tommy Robinson
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has called for the release of imprisoned far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Musk expressed support for Robinson on his social media site X, claiming that he was being “smeared as a ‘far-right racist’ for exposing the mass betrayal of English girls by the state”.
Robinson was jailed for 18 months in October after pleading guilty to showing a defamatory video of a Syrian refugee during a protest last year. Judges previously heard that he fled the UK hours after being bailed last summer, following an alleged breach of the terms of a 2021 court order.
Musk’s posts also criticized Sir Keir Starmer, who was director of public prosecutions at the CPS between 2008 and 2013. Musk claimed that Starmer “allowed” grooming gangs “to exploit young girls without facing justice” during his tenure. He also suggested that government minister Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” after she rejected requests for a government-led inquiry into child abuse in Oldham.
Musk’s posts sparked criticism, with some accusing him of promoting hate speech and ignoring the harm caused by Robinson’s actions. Others defended Musk, claiming that he was simply exercising his right to free speech. The controversy has sparked a wider debate about the role of social media in promoting hate speech and the need for accountability from online platforms.