Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the far-right English Defence League, has boasted of his attendance at an extremist march in Poland at which antisemitic slogans were chanted.
In a social media post, Mr Robinson, who was also once a member of the British National Party, wrote:” I have had an amazing time with Polish patriots marching against Islam. Polish pride is something else.”
An estimated 60, 000 people gathered in Warsaw for the march on Saturday to mark Poland’s independence day, where chants calling for a "Jew free" country were heard.
I have had an amazing time with polish patriots marching against Islam . Polish pride is something else pic.twitter.com/OPknnqoiHO
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) November 11, 2017
Some demonstrators were also heard demanding “Jews out of Poland,” and “refugees get out”.
One demonstrator interviewed by state television TVP on why they attended the march said it was to “remove Jewry from power”.
The event attracted far-right activists from across Europe including known far-right leaders from Sweden, Germany, Italy and Slovakia.
Tens of thousands of nationalist protesters disrupted Poland's independence day events on Saturday, waving flags and burning flares as they marched down the streets of Warsaw https://t.co/4CafV55uMz pic.twitter.com/pumqw8sSHw
— CNN International (@cnni) November 13, 2017
But Mr Robinson attempted to play down suggestions that the march had fascist support, writing: “I had an amazing trip to Poland & was shown great hospitality.
“Poland is fortress Europe. I’ve never seen pride & Patriotism like I saw this weekend. Don’t believe the MSM slander & tarnishing of the Polish people.”
He also retweeted a message regarding the march which said:”Nazis? Realy (sic)?”.
Nazis? Realy?? pic.twitter.com/fYWALmbYrY
— Marcin Muszarski (@marcinmuszarski) November 13, 2017
Some 90 per cent of Polish Jewry was killed during the Holocaust. Today, the community is said to number less than 10,000.
In July the JC revealed how members of Manchester’s Jewish community held a secret meeting with Mr Robinson, The meeting was billed as a charity fundraiser, but also saw Mr Robinson deliver a speech outlining his extreme views on Islam.
Home sweet home. I had an amazing trip to Poland & was shown great hospitality. Poland is fortress Europe. I’ve never seen pride & Patriotism like I saw this weekend. Don’t believe the MSM slander & tarnishing of the polish people
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) November 13, 2017
Mr Robinson also appeared in a video with Robert Festenstein, a lawyer for the Jewish Human Rights Watch organisation and a member of the Board of Deputies based in Manchester. Mr Festenstein said he had no association with Mr Robinson.
