Tommy Robinson case - live: EDL founder's supporters attack journalists after he is jailed for contempt of court
Live updates from Old Bailey hearing
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Tommy Robinson has been sent back to prison for encouraging ”vigilante action” against defendants in a grooming gang trial during a video livestreamed on Facebook.
The founder of the English Defence League was found in contempt of court last week over the film, which breached reporting restrictions on the case in Leeds in May 2018 and came close to collapsing the case against the guilty men.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was originally jailed for 13 months last year but was freed on appeal.
Appearing at the Old Bailey today, he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, reduced to 19 weeks because of time already served. The maximum sentence available to the judges was two years' imprisonment.
Follow live updates from court in our liveblog below
One of the group is hauled into a police van by several officers. Chants of “Shame on you”.
The van is now attempting to back out but protestors are blocking path while chanting ‘We’re not going anywhere’
At least three people have been arrested in relation to the Tommy Robinson demonstrations, City of London Police said.
The Society of Editors has responded to Robinson's claim that he was "convicted of journalism", referring to the slogan he wore on a T-shirt as he arrived at court, saying it was a "dangerous distortion of the truth".
Executive director Ian Murray said that Robinson had broken the law by ignoring the laws of contempt that any junior reporter working for a reputable news provider would be aware of.
He said: "While anyone can claim to be a journalist in this country, and there is no appetite nor should there be for the licensing of journalists in the UK, the mainstream British media adheres to the laws of the land, is correctly regulated and ensures its journalists are highly trained.
"I am not aware that Robinson has any formal training as a journalist, and to claim his trial and sentencing is an attack of journalism itself is a farce.
"Sadly there are people who wish to see the media in the UK emasculated and these sorts of claims are so obviously unfounded they provide ammunition to attack us with."
Several reports that journalists filming on the College Garden were verbally abused, physically intimidated and had their equipment attacked before police officers arrived.
The police van has escaped and some supporters are filtering away from the main protest as it starts to wind down.
A kiosk is doing a brisk trade in cold drinks for £2 a can.
Lots of tourists in the area. A tour guide is doing a talk in Spanish to a small group while the protest continues in the background.
Some Chinese flags being waved at the main protest, which is slowly decreasing in size. The occasional shout of ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ and ‘The UK is a police state’.
Watch Tommy Robinson’s supporters descend on Parliament after EDL founder jailed for nine months for contempt of court.
In a video posted to his Telegram account after was sentenced, Tommy Robinson told his followers that he would be ‘fine’ in prison.
"Hopefully by this Saturday, I'm laying there in my cell and I can just hear all your voices outside whichever shithole HMP I'm in," he said.
"Just want to say to everyone I appreciate whilst I'm in there I know people will be fighting for me. But I'll be fine in there."
He has previously said he fears being killed in prison and has begged Donald Trump to grant him asylum in the US.
City of London Police have given more details of the three arrests - which were made today but relate to offences committed last Friday when Robinson was found in contempt of court.
A 28 year-old woman and a 60 year-old man were arrested for affray and a 61 year-old woman was arrested for a public order offence.
The protest in Westminster is over. A bare chested man wanders slowly past the statue of Winston Chrurchill, accompanied by a woman draped in a Union Jack.
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