Preaching, not breaching the peace

Back in February, a video went viral showing street preacher Oluwole Ilesamni being arrested for supposedly breaching the peace.

In order to uphold the freedom to preach the gospel, the Christian Legal Centre helped street preacher Oluwole challenge the way he was treated, such as his Bible being snatched away and being dropped off miles away with no means to return.

The Metropolitan Police has now offered Oluwole £2,500 in relation to his false arrest, imprisonment and unlawful detention.

Marking the occasion, a group of street preachers, including Oluwole, delivered our street preacher petition on Wednesday 31 July. The petition, now signed by over 45,000 people, called on the Home Secretary to investigate the training and guidance given to police officers on policing street preachers. Despite the rainy weather, the petition was also delivered to New Scotland Yard and the London Assembly, along with a letter from the Christian Legal Centre correcting the common misconceptions about street preaching freedoms.

Watch our footage from delivering the petition.

Christians proclaim that anyone can find peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Let's pray that many more - including all of us - will be unashamed to speak boldly about the salvation we've found in him.