The former leader of the far-right group the English Defence League (EDL), Tommy Robinson, has been jailed for thirteen months for breaking contempt of court laws with a Facebook Live video that could prejudice an ongoing trial. His supporters have protested his imprisonment, and Donald Trump Jr. has leant his support to their cause.
Events were held in cities around the UK to express solidarity with the Muslim community on ‘Punish a Muslim Day’. However, given the institutional and structural nature of Islamophobia, it has been warned one day of support is not enough.
The leader and deputy leader of Britain First have been jailed for the religiously aggravated harassment of Muslims, and the group’s Facebook pages have been banned for inciting hatred. Facebook’s actions follow calls from authorities for social media firms to do more to combat hate speech.
Paul Moore attempted to kill two Muslim women wearing headscarves in Leicester in September, and was convicted days after warnings were given about the increased threat from far-right terrorism. Moore has not been labelled a terrorist.
Osborne, who killed a worshipper outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in 2017 in an act of terrorism motivated by Islamophobia, was reportedly radicalised by online content from far-right movements. The British mainstream media has been criticised for popularising this content through engaging with it in their coverage.
