Tommy Robinson charged over refusal to leave march against antisemtism

Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA

The far-right leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has been charged with a criminal offence after he allegedly refused to leave Sunday’s march against antisemitism.

Police used pepper-spray during the arrest of Yaxley-Lennon, 40, better known as Tommy Robinson, on Sunday after officers told him to leave the area.

On Monday the Metropolitan police confirmed he been charged in connection with this incident and will appear in court in the New Year.

In a statement it added: “Stephen Lennon, of Bedfordshire, has been charged with failing to comply with a section 35 direction excluding a person from an area. He has been bailed to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on January 22.”

The organisers of the march had asked Yaxley-Lennon and his supporters to stay away from the event, which they said was attended by more than 60,000 people. The size of the crowd made it the biggest demonstrations against antisemitism in the UK since the 1936 Battle of Cable Street when east Londoners confronted the British Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosley.

Robinson, the founder of the far-right English Defence League, was handcuffed as he was led away with his eyes streaming from the effects of pepper spray. He was arrested by more than 20 officers near the Royal Courts of Justice in London where the demonstration began on Sunday.

After his release from custody, he claimed that bail conditions preventing him from entering London or taking part in protests were “a blatant abuse” of human rights. He claimed he was present at the event as a journalist.

In a statement about his arrest, the Met police, said: “We have been in frequent contact with the organisers of the march in recent days. They have been clear about their concerns that the man’s attendance, and that of those who were likely to accompany him, would cause fear for other participants. The same view has been voiced by others.

“As a result, he was spoken to and warned on more than one occasion that his continued presence in the area was likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others. He was directed to leave the area but refused to do so.”

Footage on X showed Yaxley-Lennon being asked to leave by police while he was in a cafe, where he said he had ordered breakfast. The far-right leader appeared to refuse the police request and claimed to be attending the demonstration as a journalist.