Street preacher arrested in Watford

Footage has circulated online of a Christian pastor being arrested while street preaching on the weekend.

The footage shows Steve Maile, the senior pastor of Oasis City Church in Watford, being arrested by three officers while preaching the gospel in Watford.

During the incident Maile continually protests that no offence has been committed. One of the cops appears to say that Maile allegedly assaulted someone, something Maile denies.

Maile was later released and posted a video on Facebook thanking supporters for his or her prayers.

In the video, Maile claims he was “absolutely brutalised and victimised by the British police” and that he was in “excruciating pain”.

Maile said that he had been released on bail and that the allegations against him are “totally false”. Adding a note of defiance to his post, Maile said, “You won’t ever ever stop Steve Maile from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary said in an announcement: “On Saturday 18 April, a person aged in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of assault and a Section 5 public order offence (racially or religiously aggravated disorderly behaviour).

“He has been released on bail while enquiries into the general public order offence proceed. No further motion is being taken in relation to the assault.”

Maile is just not the primary street preacher to have had a run-in with the police after complaints by disapproving members of the general public.

Pastor Dia Moodley was arrested in Bristol last November on suspicion of “inciting religious hatred”. According to Moodley he was arrested after publicly discussing the differences between Islam and Christianity. He said he was assaulted by a gaggle of Muslim men, who he said had injured him and threatened to stab him. Although he was arrested, none of his alleged assailants were.

Not all incidents have ended thus. In February a video emerged online of a female police officer surrounded by Muslim men complaining about an unidentified street preacher in Whitechapel. Despite the boys suggesting that the preacher shouldn’t be allowed to evangelise in a predominantly Muslim area, the police officer said she could be taking no motion against the preacher because he was exercising his freedom of speech.