Tuesday, September 17, 2013



UK: Street Preacher Jailed Over False ‘Hate Speech’ Charge Following Lesbian Complaint

A Christian street preacher was arrested and jailed last week in England after he was accused by a lesbian bystander of engaging in hate speech against homosexuals.

The incident occurred on Thursday while evangelist Rob Hughes was preaching on the streets of Basildon, Essex.

As he spoke, Hughes was approached by police, who advised that they had received a complaint that Hughes had engaged in hate speech by preaching against homosexuality. Police advised that such speech was a violation of the Public Order Act, Section 5, which bans “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior, or disorderly behavior” or the display of “any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting” within earshot of sight of a person “likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.”

As Hughes was interviewed by police on street, his friend, Andrew Noble, was also interrogated by officers.  “Did you say that homosexuality is sinful?” Noble remembers the police inquiring.

“I don’t think we said that today, but it is something that we would say,” he replied.

Noble told Christian News Network that a lesbian bystander had lodged a complaint against Hughes’ speech and falsely accused him of speaking against homosexual behavior.

Hughes was arrested on the street and transported to the local jail, where he was then fingerprinted and held in a cell. In the meantime, Noble contacted the Christian legal organization Christian Concern to request emergency assistance.

Seven hours later, at nearly midnight, Hughes was released and the charges were dismissed. Hughes told Christian Concern that Christian street preachers are facing a situation where they are now becoming ”presumed guilty until found to be innocent.”

Source

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yet when atheists put a non-threatening advert on the sides of a few buses in the UK that doesn't even mention Christianity, the Christians think they are being persecuted and make a huge issue out of it!

Anonymous said...

Religion is like a virus or parasite that takes over the brains of victims to make them go out spreading the infectious "meme", no matter how embarrassing such public activity may be for the victim. It's much like a rabid dog frothing at the mouth and biting where it can to spread the infection, but as in the natural world, it's a strategy of dispersal that works. Note spread of Christianity across Europe and then to their colonies, followed and somewhat eclipsed by the spread of Islam from Arabia to large areas of the world.

Anonymous said...

When someone asks you why the UK is clearly a dying society, you can tell them about the millions of radical Muslims who have been welcomed into the UK. You can also tell them about such irrational laws as, Public Order Act, Section 5, which basically states that if (even one person) doesn't like or agree with your opinion, they can have you arrested.

Britain is not a nation, it's just a bad joke.

Anonymous said...

So 2:23. despite all the self-selected PC-related news items that our host chooses to put under your eyes, and that the majority relate to the USA, you don't seem to ever condemn the US as a Whole nation in same way you choose to condemn the whole of another country? Are you prejudiced, are you a xenophobe, are you an anglophobe, was your g-g-g-g-grandmother raped by a Cromwellian soldier in Ireland? One wonders about the Freudian explanation. Can you enlighten us?

Tidford Tatt said...

Curious Anonymous 2:55, in saying of Anonymous 2:23: "you don't seem to ever condemn the US as a Whole" you make it clear that you have penetrated poor Mr (Ms?) 2:23's anonymity.

So, who do you work for? From the tenor of the post, likely not NSA.

So who is it? Oghab 2, FSB, Служба Внешней Разведки, Razvedki, MISIRI, Idarat al-Amn al-Amm, إدارة الأمن العام,?

Anonymous said...

The US also does not have idiot laws such as the Public Ordeer Axt, Section 5. One does not get arrested in the US for speech, except in certain extraordinary circumstances.

Anonymous said...

God forbid someone have an opinion that offends in England. such wimps.

Anonymous said...

2:55, you're the one most likely to have a phobia.

Jews are the number one target of religious hate crimes in America yet I've never heard Judeophobia- Fear of Jews mentioned once. I've Never heard Nazis called that either. hmmm....

How 'bout Atheists do they have Zeusophobia- Fear of God or gods.? or Theophobia- Fear of gods or religion.?

why aren't gay people called Heterophobes? or do they have Sexophobia- Fear of the opposite sex. (Heterophobia)?

Did the violent OWS crowd have Plutophobia- Fear of wealth?

Does Planned Parenthood have Parturiphobia- Fear of childbirth.?

Do Democrats have the fear Nucleomituphobia- Fear of nuclear weapons.?

Do Democrats have the fear Ecclesiophobia- Fear of church.?

Do Vegetarians have the fear Carnophobia- Fear of meat.?

Do Women's groups have the fear Arrhenphobia- Fear of men.?

Anonymous said...

So the cops thought it was appropriate to respond to a breach of the peace complaint by immediate arrest and detention without even hearing the complained of statement?
This is ludicrous. It could have been dealt with by way of summons if they thought it worth pursuing at all.
Are the UK cops going to treat all breaches of the peace in the same way?

Anonymous said...

Wow - looks like this site is infested with US jingoists of a very unsubtle/unstable type!
I guess they have to find mutual succour in some hole or other.
PS. I don't live in England or the UK, or indeed Canada or Australia, so keep guessing you Yankee-Doodles, if you have time to waste, as your spoiled as*es no doubt have!

Anonymous said...

Troll 2:33 apparently didn't bother to read the article we are supposed to be commenting on. Can't Contribute, just complains. Sounds like a liberal to me.

Anonymous said...

So 4:17 - anyone who ventures an opinion you don't like is automatically dismissed as a "troll". As you well know, threads go off in their own directions by responding to previous particular points rather than returning all the time to the original article.

Anonymous said...

Excuse me 3:09, I do not automatically dismiss those that disagree with my views as trolls. Only those that offer no opinion other than to insult others which clearly demonstrates they can't muster any kind of argument.

Anonymous said...

3:01: I guess you describe most posters on this site. At least so many are very quick to be gratutitously rude and offer only biased and often very specious and fallacious arguments to justify their unfounded long-felt personal prejudices.