EGN NEWS DESK
A road preacher threatened with arrest in London has stated he feels harassed and persecuted by the police.
Pastor Dwayne Lopez, who’s being supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), was confronted by 5 cops whereas preaching on Uxbridge High Street after a criticism by a member of the general public.
He was instructed {that a} potential “hate crime” regarding “homophobia” had been dedicated, and was requested if he was conscious of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in place on the excessive road. PSPOs are units of laws launched by native councils often overlaying anti-social behaviour.
In the trade, captured on video and uploaded to YouTube, Lopez was threatened with arrest except he gave his private particulars.
“Currently there’s allegations of a hate crime, a public order offence, part 4a [and] allegations of homophobia,” an officer stated.
“I’ve not heard something, I’m not saying I’ve heard something. Someone’s known as us. It may be fully unfaithful or true.
“[But] if I do stroll away and I see offences, and the sufferer needs to press expenses … I might have failed a possible sufferer.”
Later, an officer tells him: “If you do not give me your title or deal with I’ve grounds to arrest you. It’s code of follow.”
Lopez denied committing a hate crime and stated that he had merely been preaching from the Bible. The trade ends after Lopez offers his private particulars to the officers.
According to the CLC, below UK legislation, a road preacher doesn’t have to supply their particulars to the police “however officers usually ask for it, and even demand it”.
Speaking about his expertise later, Lopez stated that it was “not an remoted incident” and that “the police are persistently harassing us for preaching from the Bible on this space of London”.
He stated his remedy by the hands of the police was “unjust”.
“The Bible will not be a banned e-book. When King Charles was topped final yr, he swore an oath on the Bible, a e-book which we are actually being repeatedly punished for preaching from. We preach the straightforward message that we’re all sinners and that love, forgiveness and hope is present in Jesus,” he stated.
“Our message will not be a hateful message. People will all the time be offended by one thing, however being offended will not be against the law. We need the police to assist us now as an alternative of utilizing the PSPO to persecute us.”
He added, “The PSPO in Uxbridge is designed to intimidate us, shut us down and to forestall us from exercising our rights and freedoms. This will not be about amplification, however the offence of the Cross.”
CLC chief government Andrea Williams has known as for a “re-think” of PSPOs to guard freedom of expression for road preachers.
“The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in place in Uxbridge is being weaponised to close down completely lawful exercise,” she stated.
“People are being taken off the streets for preaching from the Bible simply because passers-by say they’re offended.
“This quantities to a heckler’s veto and essentially undermines the freedoms we take with no consideration on this nation. This needs to be a warning to us all. It is time to re-think the PSPOs.”
