Controversial far-right activist Tommy Robinson attracted plenty of headlines in 2024 after racial tensions swept the UK last summer. Civil unrest was sparked by misinformation spread online that a triple child murder suspect in Southport was a Muslim asylum seeker.
Robinson, the founder of the now defunct English Defence League (EDL), naturally had plenty to say on social media while far right supporters rioted up and down the country. That prompted counter rallies, such as the large gathering which amassed in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, and fears the UK was a giant powder keg on the brink of all-out anarchy..
As is the way in modern times many took to social media to rant about Robinson and the EDL. But many crossed the line and were arrested. Robinson himself was jailed in October for 18 months for breaching a High Court order by repeating false allegations about a Syrian refugee.
One way or another he has kept the courts busy in recent months. Below are three Birmingham men who were convicted for threatening him.
Omar Abdirizak
Omar Abdirizak, the rapper known as Twista Cheese, arriving at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court
(Image: PA)
Omar Abdirizak, also known as rapper ‘Twista Cheese’, swore about Tommy Robinson in a ‘menacing’ TikTok video. The 31-year-old also mentioned artillery, made a gun gesture and shouted ‘pow, pow, pow’ in the minute-long recording.
The video was viewed more than two million times and reposted to X, formerly Twitter, by Tommy Robinson himself who claimed it was a threat to murder him. Abdirizak, from Long Street, Sparkbrook claimed he was only trying to publicise his music as well as put the former EDL leader ‘in his place’.
In the video he described himself as a Somali ‘pirate’ and said he had a message for Robinson, before adding he had ‘Muslims in every corner’ and saying ‘look at the artillery we’ve got’. Abirizak was found guilty of sending a message of a menacing character following a trial at Birmingham Magistrates Court earlier this month. He is due to be sentenced in February.
Prosecutor Timothy Talbot-Webb had told the court: “Menacing means causing fear or apprehension. The context is important. This was going on when there was indeed disorder aimed at mosques and other institutions.
“The Crown say that by making references to pirates and artillery… any member of the public seeing that could well have been caused apprehension of serious violence.”
Habeeb Khan
Habeeb Khan
(Image: WMP)
Habeeb Khan was filmed threatening to ‘blow away’ Tommy Robinson and the English Defence League while holding an AK-47 assault rifle. The video of the 49-year-old dad when viral on social media where it was viewed more than one million times.
It provoked one far-right page to encourage people to ‘raid’ mosques in retaliation. Khan, of Hickman Road, Sparkbrook was recorded in his living room with what turned out to be a decommissioned Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Wearing a black cap, face mask, puffer jacket, jeans and sunglasses he said: “Hey Tommy, Tommy Robinson, hey, you want to f****** play rough, aye? Okay, come on, you want to play rough? I’ll blow you away, you f****** cockroach.”
Khan was shown to load a real-looking magazine into the weapon before adding: “EDL, we’re coming to f****** blow you away.”
When being arrested at his home he was obstructive and played up to an onlooking crowd, saying ‘All I have done is make a little video’. Ironically, he later claimed he did not know he was being filmed.
Khan, who has previous convictions which include race-related offences, admitted sending communication threatening death or serious harm as well as an additional count of threatening behaviour for his disruptive actions at City Hospital following his arrest. He was sentenced to two years and three months in December.
Judge Melbourne Inman KC said of the events in Southport: “Some people used that tragedy as an opportunity to sow division and hatred, often using social media, which in turn all contributed to and resulted in a number of towns and cities being disfigured by mindless and reckless violence, intimidation and damage.”
Mohammed Akhtar
Mohammed Akhar
(Image: West Midlands Police)
Mohammed Akhtar posed with his parents’ ornamental samurai sword in a picture with the caption ‘where’s Tommy Robinson?’. The 24-year-old also sent inflammatory messages to various WhatsApp groups such as ‘need to smash up this white lot’, during the summer unrest.
Other texts said ‘going to sharpen that samurai’ and ‘going to take that with me later’ as well as ‘off to the Radleys’ and ‘shout me if it kicks off lol I’m just down the road’. Akhtar, from Washwood Heath Road, Ward End, admitted he made a ‘silly mistake’ while he was just ‘showing off’ with his mum and dad’s sword.
He pleaded guilty to sending a communication threatening death or serious harm and was sentenced to 15 months at Birmingham Crown Court in December. Judge Paul Farrer concluded Akhtar’s actions required a deterrent punishment.
Referencing the wide-spread disorder in the summer he said: “In truth this disorder was nothing to do with exercising the right to lawful protest. Instead, it was motivated by intolerance and ignorance. For others it was an excuse to commit acts of violence, intimidation and criminal damage.”