London Police Threaten to Arrest More Christian Street Preachers

In what has seemingly become a normal occurrence in the United Kingdom, a member of London's Metropolitan Police force threatened to arrest Christian street preachers who were accused by a bystander of making "homophobic" comments. 

The bizarre incident was captured on a nine-minute video in which the unnamed Christians protest their innocence. 

The video shows five police officers threatening to arrest the evangelists who were preaching outside a west London shopping center after someone complained to them about alleged homophobic comments, according to The Daily Mail. 

One of the officers explains, "If you're preaching here, it also depends on what you say. You might be committing criminal offenses as well. If you're making members of the public (feel) harassment, alarm or distress, it's a criminal offense." 

British police are advising Christian preachers to leave or they will be arrested because they could "cause harassment, alarm and distress", which is a "criminal offence". What do you think? pic.twitter.com/WiB5RBSF84

— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) February 13, 2024

The street preacher who is videoing the exchange with the officers replies, "I'm aware of that. What we're doing is preaching our religion. We've been preaching about the gospel and Jesus Christ and the Bible says in the book of John, chapter three verse 16."

"For God's love of the world, He gave His one and only son so that whoever, any person whatsoever – black, white, homosexual, drunken, liar, thief or a prostitute – whoever believes in him shall not perish and have everlasting life," the man said. 

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but he sent his Son into the world that all can be saved. And that is the message of the Gospel," he continued. "That's what we've been preaching." 

The video jumps to an exchange with another police officer who asks for the preacher's name and address.  The man then asks why the officer needs that information. 

"There's been an allegation," the officer responds. 

"And what is the allegation?" the man asked. 

"Hate crime," the officer replied. 

The preacher then tells the officer and the other officers he doesn't want to give them his information, but clarifies that he will if needed. 

"Listen, we're trying to be the most fair with you as possible," the officer said. "If I do walk away and I see offenses, and the victim wants to press charges... I could have failed a potential victim."

"'I've not heard anything, I'm not saying I've heard anything. Someone's called us. It might be completely untrue or true, I do not know," he continued. 

"If you don't give me your name and address, I have the grounds to arrest you," the officer said. 

The street preacher and the officer then discuss what allegedly occurred and the bystander's complaint. 

The video then cuts to a second officer who tells the man, "I'm going to ask you for one last time otherwise you're going to be placed under arrest. I'm going to ask you for the final time, sir. I'm not asking it anymore. You've been asked too many times."

"Unless you want to be arrested and you will be, you provide me your name," the officer said. 

At the end of the video, one of the other preachers walks up to the five officers, exclaiming, "Members of the public have been walking by and asking 'Why are you attacking preachers? Instead of dealing with real crime, you're here. You're spending so much time.'"

The exchange ends with the street preacher who's been videoing the confrontation walking away and thanking the officers for being "very polite." 

You Cannot "Sing Church Songs Outside Church Grounds" 

The incident occurred just a few weeks after a video showed five officers trying to stop a gospel singer performing for fans on a public street, according to The Daily Mail. 

The outlet reported Harmonie London, 20, had been singing outside the John Lewis flagship store in London on Sunday when she was approached by volunteer police officer Maya Hadzhipetkova who wrongly told the busker (singer) she could not "sing church songs outside of church grounds."

A video uploaded to YouTube showed a bystander ridiculing a police officer. 

"I would prefer you use our taxpayers' money to catch murderers, rapists, pedophiles but you're here after a busker which is really a council problem not yours," the woman said. 

"All these officers are here wasting taxpayers' money. This is an embarrassment for you and a waste of police time. And I don't think all police officers here are happy with this."

Scotland Yard later apologized for the incident, explaining the alleged complaint was due to unlicensed singing rather than the content of the songs she was singing, adding that the volunteer officer is being investigated, The Daily Mail reported. 

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