We are being harassed, says street preacher threatened with arrest

A street preacher threatened with arrest in London has said he feels harassed and persecuted by the police.

Pastor Dwayne Lopez, who’s being supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), was confronted by five law enforcement officials while preaching on Uxbridge High Street after a criticism by a member of the general public.

He was told that a possible “hate crime” regarding “homophobia” had been committed, and was asked if he was aware of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in place on the high street. PSPOs are sets of regulations introduced by local councils normally covering anti-social behaviour. 

In the exchange, captured on video and uploaded to YouTube, Lopez was threatened with arrest unless he gave his personal details. 

“Currently there’s allegations of a hate crime, a public order offence, section 4a [and] allegations of homophobia,” an officer said.

“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.”

Later, an officer tells him: “If you do not give me your name or address I actually have grounds to arrest you. It’s code of practice.”

Lopez denied committing a hate crime and said that he had simply been preaching from the Bible. The exchange ends after Lopez gives his personal details to the officers.

According to the CLC, under UK law, a street preacher doesn’t have to offer their details to the police “but officers often ask for it, and even demand it”.

Speaking about his experience later, Lopez said that it was “not an isolated incident” and that “the police are persistently harassing us for preaching from the Bible on this area of London”. 

He said his treatment by the hands of the police was “unjust”. 

“The Bible is just not a banned book. When King Charles was crowned last yr, he swore an oath on the Bible, a 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 said. 

“Our message is just not a hateful message. People will all the time be offended by something, but being offended is just not against the law. We want the police to support us now as an alternative of using the PSPO to persecute us.”

He added, “The PSPO in Uxbridge is designed to intimidate us, shut us down and to stop us from exercising our rights and freedoms. This is just not about amplification, however the offence of the Cross.” 

CLC chief executive Andrea Williams has called for a “re-think” of PSPOs to guard freedom of expression for street preachers. 

“The Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in place in Uxbridge is being weaponised to shut down perfectly lawful activity,” she said.

“People are being taken off the streets for preaching from the Bible simply because passers-by say they’re offended.

“This amounts to a heckler’s veto and fundamentally undermines the freedoms we take with no consideration on this country. This must be a warning to us all. It is time to re-think the PSPOs.”