Far-right deputy leader urges Trump to help her win NI race hate case
THE deputy leader of Britain First pleaded with the US President to intervene in a Belfast court case after Donald Trump shared inflammatory anti-Muslim videos she posted online.
Mr Trump sparked international outrage after retweeting to his 43.6m followers three posts by far-right activist Jayda Fransen, including unverified footage purporting to show Muslims committing crimes.
Downing Street has condemned Mr Trump’s actions and said Britain First was dedicated to causing division among communities and that the President had been “wrong” to share the posts.
Ms Fransen was last week charged with using threatening and abusive language at a Northern Ireland Against Terrorism rally at Belfast City Hall in August.
She was arrested in London and flown to Belfast by the PSNI for questioning.
Last night Ms Fransen said she was appealing to the US President to step in and prevent her from ending up in Hydebank women’s prison.
“I was absolutely delighted that the President of the United States took time out to re-tweet the videos on my Twitter page and to cast light on my current plight,” she said.
“I am facing a jail sentence for criticising Islam in a speech I gave in Belfast. As we know Donald Trump stands for free speech. It is enshrined in the US Constitution.
“Unfortunately we don’t have that privilege here and in fact the British establishment have gone one step further and become Sharia compliant and they have instituted what can only be classed as blasphemy law.
“So I would appeal to the President of the United States to intervene because, quite frankly, the British establishment are behaving in a manner more befitting to North Korea and the rights and privileges that so many men fought, bled and died for are now being completely removed from British citizens.”
Ms Fransen faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison for the offences.
The first unverified video re-tweeted by Mr Trump claimed to show ‘Muslim migrants beating up a Dutch boy on crutches’, a second was titled ‘Muslim destroys statue of Virgin Mary’, while a third video was captioned ‘Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death’. Yesterday White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended Mr Trump, explaining to reporters that he shared them to start a conversation about border security and immigration. “I think that his goal is to promote strong borders and strong national security,” Ms Sanders said. Downing Street made clear the government’s dismay at the way Mr Trump had publicised the views of such a far-right group.
“Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.
“British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect.
“It is wrong for the president to have done this.”
Ms Fransen is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on Thursday, December 14.