One of the leading figures in Germany's PEGIDA movement (short for “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West”), Lutz Bachmann, posted on his Facebook page that the UK had barred him from entry, as he was detained in a London airport and sent away.
According to the activist, the reason he was sent away was the copy of Austrian activist Martin Sellner’ speech Bachmann had on him. Martin Sellner, who is also among the leading figures of the European anti- Islamization movement, was himself barred from the UK last week together with his girlfriend Brittany Pettibone, a right-wing YouTuber.
When asked by Sputnik what's the reason behind the decision taken by the British authorities, "I think, the gouverment is scared about everyone that is telling the british public the truth about Islam and the risks of an ongoing Islamisation. So they try to shut up people like me. They are scared to death about people, that inform the society about the big exchange and mass-immigration."
Commenting on experts' opinion that the UK is allowing ex-Daesh fighters to returnto the UK while refusing entry to right-wing activists, Bachmann said, "There will be just one consequense. It will wake up more people because the public isn't stupid and the people feel, that there must be something wrong. When people get banned, they are warning about the risks of ISIS [Daesh] and supporters, but the real terrorist can just come into the country, then even people who dont really like/supported us yet, will start thinking whats behind the hold thing. They going start questioning, what is the plan of the goverment."
Bachmann was to take part in a rally in London's Hyde Park, which according to him, was not OK with the UK authorities, as he had already been a guest at similar events in other British cities, such as Manchester and Birmingham.
"I hope, people will rise up and go on the streets, to protect this fundamental right of the western civilisation," he added.
Bachman was one of the founders of the PEGIDA movement, which is behind anti-immigrant and anti-Islamization rallies in Germany, including the recent ones in Hamburg, since the beginning of February. However, he had to give up his official leadership in 2015 when a picture of him dressed like Hitler appeared on-line, despite his insistence that it was a joke. In 2016 Bachmann was found guilty of inciting hatred and had to pay a fine of $11,044 for insulting asylum seekers on his Facebook page, where he called them "cattle," "scum" and "trash." The 43-year-old man branded the court case a "political show trial," while his lawyer stated "the comments, came not from him, but from a stranger."
READ MORE: Germany's PEGIDA Leader Probed Due to Tweet on Ex-Refugee, Group Admits Fault
The UK’s Home Office commented on the incident with Bachman to The Independent, saying ‘Border Force has the power to refuse entry to an individual if it is considered that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good’ without providing further details on the reasons for barring the German.
The authorities used similar grounds for barring the Canadian Youtube personality Lauren Southern, who made a name for herself as a right-wing activist favoring stricter border and entry denials for people from non-European cultures. She claimed on Twitter that the UK border police detained her in Calais under the UK terrorism act after she handed out leaflets reading “Allah is gay,” and “LGBT for Islam UK” in February, insisting it was a social experiment.
However, the UK’s Home Office reported her “actions while in the United Kingdom present a threat to the fundamental interests of society and to the public policy of the United Kingdom.”
