Christian preacher threatened with arrest in London

A Christian street preacher was confronted by five cops in London after a criticism by a member of the general public.

Footage of the incident on Uxbridge High Street, west London, was uploaded to YouTube by the Contagious Christian channel. 

It shows a preacher being threatened with arrest after allegedly committing a hate crime by making homophobic comments. 

The preacher filming the incident might be heard telling the officers: “All we’re doing is preaching our religion. We’ve been preaching in regards to the Gospel and Jesus Christ [and what] the Bible says within the book of John, chapter three verse 16.

“For God’s love of the world he gave his one and only son in order that whoever, whatever person – homosexual, drunk, liar or a prostitute – believes in him shall not perish and have everlasting life.”

During the exchange, certainly one of the officers might be heard saying, “Currently there’s allegations of a hate crime, a public order offence, section 4a [and] allegations of homophobia.

“I’ve not heard anything, I’m not saying I’ve heard anything. Someone’s called us. It is likely to be completely unfaithful or true … [but] if I do walk away and I see offences, and the victim desires to press charges … I could have failed a possible victim.”

When the preacher asks for clarification, one other officer tells him that the allegation pertains to a possible hate crime which as caused “alarm or distress in a public space”.

The preacher is threatened with arrest unless he agrees to offer his name and address.

“You can spend the night in a cell and we are able to do it that way,” certainly one of the officers says. 

They appear to let him go after he shares his details.

Comments posted on YouTube accused the police of double standards after they were accused of doing nothing when protesters called for jihad in London within the wake of the Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel. 

“This is completely bizarre. Islamists can call for Jihad on the streets of London, but don’t dare preach about Jesus?” said one person. 

Another wrote, “No wonder the country is within the state it’s in the intervening time. Harassing preachers as a substitute of stopping real crime.”

Just last month the Metropolitan Police got here under fire after a volunteer officer wrongly told a Christian singer acting on London’s Oxford Street that she was not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds.

The officer threatened to remove the equipment of Harmonie London and stuck her tongue out at her when she defended her right to sing the songs. 

The Met later apologised for the offence caused.