Street preachers arrested on suspicion of public order offences for anti-Muslims sermons

The Bristol Post and BBC News report on four street preachers who were arrested on suspicion of public order offences with a street sermon allegedly referring to minorities in disparaging terms.

The local paper reports on the four people, believed to be from US based group Cross Encounters Ministries, who attracted an angry crowd with their public sermon at Bristol’s Broadmead shopping centre on 7 July.

The street preachers allegedly made anti-Muslim comments with one witness claiming they said such things as “Allah does not exist” and “all Muslims will burn in hell”.

The preachers were asked to move away by an officer who responded to the disturbance. The preachers were warned by a police community support officer that they would be issued with a dispersal notice if they did not desist. Failing to comply with the officer’ orders, the four men were arrested as the crowd “cheered”.

BBC News reports the men have since been arrested on suspicion of public order offences.

A spokesman for Cross Encounters Ministries said the men were not members of the religious group but “represent their own ministries and churches”.