Across Europe with Tommy Robinson: inside the new wave of anti-immigration protest coming soon to Britain
▻http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/12031679/Across-Europe-with-Tommy-Robinson-inside-the-new-wave-of-anti-immigrati
I was with Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – as he travelled to the Czech Republic to meet representatives from Pegida and a similar Czech group called “Bloc Against Islam” (which grew out of the “Czech Defence League”, modelled on its English equivalent) to get them to sign up to this idea. Robinson was due to speak at a rally partly organised by the Bloc, but did not because at the last moment a new speaker was announced: the country’s President #Milos_Zeman, who is an outspoken critic of Islam, immigration and the EU. Six thousand people turned out in Prague to listen.
That a head of state would turn up at all to this sort of rally is a sign of changing times – and the reason Robinson feels bullish [...]
Following a minute’s silence for the victims of the Paris attacks, President Zeman launched a tirade against political correctness, against media manipulation, against the EU. “Brainwashing is harder now that it used to be, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” he said, in steady tones. “We must not be silenced with insults like ’Islamophobic’ or ’xenophobic’ or ’fascist’. An insult isn’t an argument! It just shows lack of thought!” ("Ha!" said Milan, the Prague leader of Bloc, while translating simultaneously for me. “This is our president!”).
Zeman continued: “We have no problems with foreigners: there are half a million in the Czech Republic. But this culture [being brought by the refugees] is not compatible with ours. Ours is not a culture of murder or religious hatred!” ("Ha!" said Milan again, “that’s perfect”). “The immigrants are young men. Why are these men not fighting for the freedom of their country against Islamic State!?” (Cheers) “Why do they come to Europe? Why don’t they stay to make their own countries better?” (More cheers).