Support for right-wing British activist Tommy Robinson surged during his arrest, with sympathetic campaigners promoting his work as they called for his release, The Independent reported on Wednesday, citing a new research.
In addition to expanding his supporter base, the controversial activist has also come away from his arrest with more resources, as supporters donated around £20,000 via various crowdfunding platforms to pay for his legal fees and support his family.
READ MORE: 'They Tried to Mentally Destroy Me': Tommy Robinson Speaks Up After Release
Most of his supporters are in the UK, but Robinson also has a global fanbase, with the US and Australia accounting for a large chunk of the donations sent to him in recent months. Furthermore, 20 percent of the signatures of an international petition calling for Tommy Robinson’s release came from the aforementioned countries.
As part of his work to expose the disproportionate representation of British Pakistanis in child grooming rings, Robinson regularly records and streams defendants outside UK courts.
Last month, Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced he would be launching an investigation into the ethnic composition of child grooming gangs in the UK, to explore why certain most perpetrators are of certain backgrounds.
READ MORE: UK Home Secretary Launches Probe Into Ethnic Origin of Child Grooming Gangs