Austrian activist Martin Sellner of Génération Identitaire (GI) and his girlfriend, American author and YouTuber Brittany Pettibone, have been detained by airport police in England for nearly three days.
Nobody from the US State Department or embassy contacted Pettibone's family.
Sellner was on his way to give a speech that authorities say would cause "tension among local communities and possibly incite hatred."
"Yesterday, Martin Sellner and Brittany Pettibone were detained by the UK Government and effectively declared political dissidents. The government has decided that Martin's talk about free speech is too dangerous to be heard. Don't worry, some of our activists will be reading his speech at Speakers' Corner at noon tomorrow in his stead. We can't allow either the far left or the government to silence us," a statement from the British GI chapter read.Sellner frequently speaks out about the dangers of European nations taking in migrants. He was supposed to be addressing the issue at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park on Sunday.
Journalist and researcher Nick Monroe spoke to Pettibone on Saturday afternoon when she called him from the detention center. She told him that she is expecting that they will be released on Sunday - 72 hours after their initial detention. She has not been permitted to speak to Sellner.
One of the reasons for the detention was that they were planning to interview former Rebel Media journalist Tommy Robinson.
"My speech for the @YIofficial conference was cancelled for the 2nd time, due to security risks caused by left wing threats," Sellner tweeted. "But we won't be silenced. On Sunday the 11th I will give my speech on Speakers Corner and I invite everybody who had a ticket for the conference to come!"
"The pledge comes after a planned 'free speech' conference of Ukip's youth wing, Young Independence, this weekend was cancelled amid alleged 'security threats,'" the
Evening Standard reports.
According to the
Evening Standard, the Home Office had previously refused to comment on whether or not Sellner would be blocked from entering the UK.
"The Home Secretary may exclude an EEA national on the grounds of public policy or security, if they pose a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat," they said in a statement early Saturday morning.
The event was facing threats of rioting from Antifa communists.
Comment: Conservative pundits seem to be increasingly under attack in the current landscape, both on social media, in the press, speaking engagements and now also in being blocked from entering "free countries" who supposedly uphold some level of freedom of speech. See also:
UPDATE: Apparently Sellner and Pettibone have been released.
Update 2: Independent journalist Laura Southern was also subjected to the same treatment. She was detained in Calais by UK border authorities.
Canadian YouTuber and right-wing activist Lauren Southern has been detained in the United Kingdom and has had her phone and passport taken from her.
The detention comes on the same day that they released American YouTuber and activist Brittany Pettibone and Austrian activist Martin Sellner after refusing them entry into the nation and detaining them for nearly three days.
Southern was travelling to the UK by bus when she was singled out by border police and taken in for questioning. The Gateway Pundit attempted to call her cellphone, but it was immediately sent to voicemail.
Sellner and Pettibone had been detained and denied entry for him planning to give a speech and her plans to interview right-wing journalist and UK citizen Tommy Robinson.
Southern had planned to meet with the duo in the UK prior to their detention. Following the questioning, Southern messaged Pettibone and told her that they were taking her phone and placing her in detention.
"Does this mean conservatives are no longer welcome in the U.K.?" Pettibone tweeted with a screenshot of the conversation.
More..... Lauren was denied entry because she spoke out against radical Islam - which is not a race.
So are we now to assume that the UK has a kind of reverse Muslim ban?
Anyone critical of the belief system of Islam (which is not a race) is now barred from entering the country?
Tommy Robinson traveled to Calais to interview Southern about her experience.
Comment: Conservative pundits seem to be increasingly under attack in the current landscape, both on social media, in the press, speaking engagements and now also in being blocked from entering "free countries" who supposedly uphold some level of freedom of speech. See also:
Update 2: Independent journalist Laura Southern was also subjected to the same treatment. She was detained in Calais by UK border authorities. Tommy Robinson traveled to Calais to interview Southern about her experience.