A US-based anti-Islam influencer who had been authorised to attend a far-right rally in London has been blocked from entering the UK by the house secretary.
Valentina Gomez, a self-styled Maga influencer, was given permission final week to enter through a UK digital journey authorisation (ETA).
She was as a consequence of communicate on the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May organised by Tommy Robinson, whose actual identify is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The Guardian understands that Shabana Mahmood has intervened to withdraw the authorisation on the grounds that Gomez’s presence “would not be conducive to the public good”.
The authorities gave the identical purpose when refusing permission for the rapper Kanye West, now generally known as Ye, to journey to the UK earlier this month. His ETA was withdrawn after considerations over a string of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi feedback. West subsequenly apologised for his feedback and blamed them on his bipolar dysfunction.
Gomez, 26, attended the primary Unite the Kingdom rally in September alongside Yaxley-Lennon, and warned from the stage that “rapist Muslims” have been “taking over” the UK.
“England, they took your guns, they took your swords, and they raped your women. You have nothing else to lose, but there’s still hope. You are still the majority. So you either fight for this nation or you let all of these rapist Muslims and corrupt politicians take over,” she mentioned.
She additionally addressed cops, telling them: “I need you to stop following orders because you know you are being told to look the other way while your country is being raped into submission.”
An estimated greater than 100,000 folks attended the occasion, regarded as the largest far-right rally of its sort in British historical past.
In addition to a spread of extremist audio system who appeared on stage, the occasion was addressed remotely by Elon Musk, whom Downing Street condemned for utilizing “dangerous and inflammatory” language.
Mahmood has the facility to cancel an individual’s permission to enter or keep within the UK. A supply near the house secretary mentioned: “While we recognise the democratic right that people must be free to peacefully express their views, this does not include promoting hatred and extremist views.”
Mahmood had confronted strain to ban Gomez from entering the UK.
The crossbench peer Shaista Gohir wrote on X two days in the past: “The @ukhomeoffice should show consistent standards and deny UK entry to Valentina Gomez.”
After Gomez posted about her ETA approval, the Muslim Council of Britain wrote: “The decision highlights a clear double standards in how freedom of speech is applied and can potentially lead to less safety and security on the streets of Britain.
“Others have been denied entry to the UK for rhetoric directed at different faith groups. This inconsistency raises serious concerns about whose speech is deemed unacceptable and who is permitted.”
Gomez, a Christian who was born in Colombia, gained notoriety by way of a sequence of anti-Islam stunts. In August final yr, she burned a replica of the Qur’an and vowed to rid Texas of the faith if she have been elected to Congress.
In a video posted to social media whereas unsuccessfully standing for a Republican nomination to Congress, she mentioned her aim was to “end Islam in Texas”. She requested Muslims to depart the state, saying: “Muslims can fuck off to any of the 57 Muslim nations.”
The TV superstar Sharon Osbourne has confronted a backlash after claiming this week that she can be attending the far-right rally.
On an Instagram submit concerning the deliberate march, Osbourne’s official account left a remark saying: “See you at the march.” The homeless charity Centrepoint has mentioned it should minimize its ties with Osbourne consequently.
