I’M A CELEBRITY star Josie Gibson once posted a video of Tommy Robinson’s speech to the Oxford Union - where she praised the controversial activist for “highlighting extremism”, unearthed tweets reveal.
Robinson, 42 who was arrested on Sunday after turning up to a march against antisemitism to report on the event, accused the authorities of being ‘afraid’ of standing up to extremism in the video shared by This Morning star Josie.
The Former Big Brother star posted the video one day after a terror attack in Paris which left 132 dead, some accused her of racism but she said it was ‘highlighting extremism’.
Posting the footage, she wrote: ‘Before you’re quick to shout “racist” watch this video’.
She then went on to say that the video was ‘highlighting extremism’ and ‘coming up with a potential solution’.
When several people criticised her for giving credence to his views, she insisted the speech was ‘not about targetting Muslims’, adding: ‘I live next door to a mosque, and have many Muslim friends it’s about Islam extremists.’
The hour-long video shows the former far-right boss’s controversial appearance at the union in 2014.
During the speech, Mr Robinson told students about the roots of the EDL and claimed it was a response to the ‘religious intolerance’ of some Muslims in his home town of Luton, Bedfordshire.
He also accused the authorities of a ‘two-tier system’ in which Muslims with extreme views were allowed to ‘get away’ with crimes for which a white British man would be reprimanded.
But her video received backlash from Twitter users, with one accusing her of ‘admiring a racist’. Another said she had opened a ‘can of worms’ while another simply said he was a ‘thug’.
Ms Gibson posted the video and went on to defend her actions after users accused her of being racist.
Another user blasted: ‘we all have strong feelings against the atrocities that Isis have done but that’s not all Muslims. I just think group are now going to target the Muslim in the street.’
But Ms Gibson was insistent about the views, replying: ‘I admire everything that is being said In the video. Now have you got any ideas to a resolution? Anything?’
She continued: ‘The video is highlighting extremists, and even coming up with a potential solution. Which I agree with.
‘I strongly believe in everything that was said in this video. I would not of posted it out other wise. Please watch X’
She then added: ‘I don’t know him personally but there is nothing racist in what he is saying here only sense & potential solutions.’
Gibson told MailOnline that the video was not ‘racist’ but ‘enlightening’.
She said: ‘The video highlights the problem we have with Islamic extremist and the way in which they have been protected. God forbid if you speak out about these extremist you are instantly labelled a racist… which is weird as being an Islamic extremist is not even a race.
‘I am a normal person and I obviously saw the disgusting brutality of the Lee Rigby Massacre, now the attacks in Paris and many more events. There is no denying there is a problem and it is frightening, but people are even more scared to speak up in case like I have now been labelled a racist for a video which is against extremists.
I feel for the Muslim community as there are the select few that put Muslims and Islamic extremist in the same box, this is like saying all Catholics are IRA. It’s ridiculous. …this is not the case, these extremists have taken the Quaran and made it their own.
‘What the video is saying is that all communities, including the Muslim community, should unite and show these extremist that there is no place for them in our society and we will not tolerate hate, terrorism or any of your deluded mind set.’
She added: ‘There are hard hitting facts in the Tommy Robinson video so whether you want to pull the race card or actually watch the video is up to you but I agree with everything that is being said. I am aware I have a following but at the same time I am glad I am not to scared to have a voice.
‘These are my views and opinions and I whole heartedly stand by them.’
The right-wing activist posted on X: “She watched my Oxford Union speech & advised others to do so before labelling me racist.”
“She’s clearly not a sheep.”
Tommy added that he wanted the This Morning star to win I’m A Celebrity.
