Facebook has deleted the homepage of the most prominent member of a group of “yellow vest” protesters who have harassed and abused MPs and journalists, as police began a more concerted response to their activities.

After the Speaker, John Bercow, wrote to the head of the Metropolitan police to urge action when the Conservative MP Anna Soubry was barracked returning from a TV interview on Monday, police greatly outnumbered protesters on Tuesday.

James Goddard, the most prominent of the activists, who model themselves on the French gilets jaunes movement, has regularly livestreamed such confrontations as a way of boosting attention for the movement.

However, on Tuesday afternoon both his Facebook pages were removed. The company said it “will not tolerate hate speech on Facebook which creates an environment of intimidation and which may provoke real-world violence”. A PayPal page via which he solicited donations was also taken down.

The Met also promised a more robust approach to the group after weeks of intermittent action during which Westminster Bridge has been blocked, Soubry has twice been harassed and sexist and racist abuse has been directed at TV crews.

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Bercow wrote to the Met commissioner, Cressida Dick, after the latest abuse of Soubry, asking her to address, “as a matter of urgency, a number of incidents of aggressive, threatening and intimidating behaviour towards MPs and journalists” around College Green, a grassy area opposite parliament used by broadcasters.

At least 115 MPs have also written to police seeking extra protection. Bercow wrote: “There seems to be a pattern here of a regular coterie of burly white men who are effectively targeting and denouncing members whom they recognise and dislike – most notably female and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.”

Asked in the Commons about the group on Tuesday, Bercow said it seemed to particularly target women and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. “Let’s be quite clear about that: it’s a type of fascism,” he said.

The Met deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor defended the police response, saying officers had been instructed to intervene after they were filmed on Monday standing by while Soubry was abused.

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“We will deal robustly with incidents of harassment and abuse against anyone where that harassment or abuse constitutes a criminal offence,” Taylor said. “Officers in the area have been briefed to intervene appropriately where they hear or see breaches of the law.”

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Soubry said there was a small group of people “roaming around Westminster intimidating people going about their lawful business”.

The Broxtowe MP added that while she expected a level of criticism and abuse as a member of parliament, she wanted authorities to act when it “crossed the line”.

In a statement the Met said: “Police received a third-party report of a public order offence on Monday 7 January, in the area of College Green, SW1. Officers are assessing if any crimes have been committed. There has been no arrest at this stage.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Goddard promised to continue the protests. Before the page was deleted he wrote on Facebook: “If the political class weren’t trying to thwart Brexit, then I wouldn’t have to approach these treacherous MPs. A message to Bercow and his chums, you will never stop me, I’m not afraid of you!”

However, he was not seen outside parliament that day. One of the small group of protesters who were outside said they had been told Goddard feared arrest if he arrived.

Separately, the widower of the murdered Labour MP Jo Cox said threats of similar violence were being used to try to “intimidate, coerce and threaten MPs”.

Writing for the Guardian, Brendan Cox said some newspapers were fuelling the “tsunami of rage” that could follow if Brexit was frustrated.

“MPs are told by national commentators to remember before voting for or against a deal, or for or against a referendum, to remember what happened to Jo. Even some MPs and government ministers seem to be using the threat of violence as a warning to others to do their will,” he wrote, calling on MPs and others “not to be cowed by what happened to Jo”.

Last month, an editorial in the Sun asked readers to remember “the febrile atmosphere of the referendum, during which Jo Cox MP was heartbreakingly murdered”, before adding: “Is it a risk the second vote camp are ready to take? Because they will have to live with its consequences.”