Latest news with #streetpreaching
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Birmingham busker calls city crackdown 'outrageous'
A Birmingham busker has called a council crackdown on busking and street preaching in the city centre "absolutely outrageous".Birmingham City Council's public space protection order (PSPO) was enforced on Friday in an attempt to tackle "excessive noise levels" in certain streets across the new order bans musicians and preachers from using amplification equipment and musical instruments on certain roads until at least Fischer, who has busked for about 15 years and performs in Druid's Heath, said he thought the move was "shameful and embarrassing". The areas covered by the order include Victoria Square, New Street, Temple Street, Cannon Street, Needless Alley and part of Waterloo Fischer, who has busked in more than 500 cities in 50 different countries, told BBC Radio WM: "I'm so proud of this city, I think it's a wonderful place. I'm devastated that they've done this""A few weeks ago we had one of the best concerts in musical history here in Birmingham and that's what makes me proud to live in this city."I think we've got such a rich cultural history and I think it's shameful and it's embarrassing that we are the only city in the UK and one of the only cities across the world who has banned busking in the entire city centre."He added: "I can think of one other major city that has banned all busking across the city centre and that city is in Azerbaijan."There's various other rules, there's various different legislations in different countries, but nowhere else have they banned busking across the entire city centre."Mr Fischer claimed "the entire council" had been misled about the proposal and not been told that all busking had been City Council has been approached for a response regarding this claim. Businesses, residents trying to relax at home and landlords attempting to let properties were being impacted, the council about the PSPO, a council spokesperson said: "The council is not considering introducing this PSPO without reason. "We have received a significant and consistent number of complaints from both residents and businesses that there are too many people causing noise in the street and, despite being asked to moderate their noise levels, there has been no respite for the affected people. "The PSPO aims to tackle the excessive noise levels caused by street preachers, buskers, and street entertainers, which have caused alarm and distress to residents and businesses."Mr Fischer said he had done a Freedom of Information request and found that 77 of the noise complaints were sent by the same person, and said people should take the council's claims about excessive complaints "with a pinch of salt".He added that he understood that some buskers were too loud and that he was not saying that the council should have no power to deal with that, but instead suggested legislation that would just deal with people "who are actually causing problems"."There were so many compromises that could have been made," he said. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Telegraph
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
White House backs anti-Islam preacher in two-tier policing row
The Trump administration is backing a controversial Christian preacher at the centre of a 'two-tier' policing row over his right to criticise Islam, The Telegraph can reveal. Dia Moodley, a father of four, met US officials dispatched to interview British 'victims of censorship' amid growing concern in Washington that free speech in the UK is under threat. In the past four years, the evangelical pastor, from Bristol, has been the subject of repeated enforcement action by Avon and Somerset Police over his street preaching, which includes comparisons between Christianity and Islam, as well as sermons on abortion and homosexuality. In his preaching, Mr Moodley says Islam is 'lies' and 'darkness', while Christianity is 'light'. He contrasts the Bible, which he says is 'the truth', with the Koran, which he claims is 'not true'. In one public sermon in 2024 he stated his belief that there are differences between 'the moral standards of the God of Islam and the Christian God.' Street preaching is a visible part of religious life in the US, especially in the South and Midwest. But in the UK, it is less socially accepted, and even viewed as a public nuisance. In 2021, Mr Moodley was banned from 'passing comment' on any faith other than Christianity and from giving sermons without police approval. It can now be revealed that the pastor, 58, was among the activists who met US State Department diplomats during their fact-finding mission to the UK in March. Until now, it was only confirmed that the US delegation met five anti-abortion activists charged over prayer vigils outside clinics, including Livia Tossici-Bolt, convicted in April for protesting in Bournemouth. The others were Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Rose Docherty, Adam Smith-Connor and Father Sean Gough, who all described being detained for silent prayer. Mr Moodley's inclusion appears to be further evidence of the Trump administration's willingness to interfere in UK domestic affairs, potentially broadening its free speech concerns from buffer zone legislation to broader allegations that Christians are being silenced while other faiths, including Islam, are appeased. 'Free speech in crisis' In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr Moodley said he was 'pleased' to be invited to meet a five-person US State Department team in London on March 19. 'We've been crying out here in the United Kingdom for quite a few years now, especially over the last year or two. Our position has been that free speech is in crisis,' he said. 'So when the US State Department came and said they wanted to sit across the table from us and hear directly what we were going through, it felt like what our own government needed to do – to sit down with us and ask what is actually happening on the ground, rather than hearing our Prime Minister saying 'free speech has always been here',' he added, referring to Sir Keir Starmer's comments to JD Vance, the vice president, in February. Asked whether he feared being used as a political pawn, Mr Moodley said his only concern was that the UK free speech crisis had 'caught the attention of somebody else'. The meeting was facilitated by ADF International UK (ADFI), the British arm of an American Right-wing Christian group, which had been contacted by US State Department officials seeking to speak with 'victims of censorship in the UK'. Its US partner, Alliance Defending Freedom, lobbied to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022 – a ruling that triggered abortion bans in 13 states. Since then, the group has shifted focus to Britain, funnelling £1.1 million into its UK arm last year for campaigning and related activity. Mr Moodley, who is a client of ADFI, told US State Department officials how, in October 2021, police banned him from 'passing comments on any other religion or comparing them to Christianity'. The order also barred him from 'delivering a sermon or religious address at a time or place that has not had prior consent and approval of Avon & Somerset Constabulary'. 'Being able to compare is part of the Christian methodology to get the message out, and here we have the police saying 'you can't do that, and if you do that, we could possibly arrest you',' Mr Moodley said. With support from ADFI, in December 2021 he successfully challenged the order. After further litigation, the force admitted in February 2024 the restrictions had been 'disproportionate'. 'Christians treated less favourably' Unlike other activists who met the delegation, Mr Moodley's main concern is 'two-tier policing'. He claims Christians are treated less favourably than Muslims with the most recent incident taking place in Bristol on March 22, just days after his meeting with the State Department. While giving a sermon, Mr Moodley compared Islamic and Christian teachings, which provoked an angry response from Muslim passers-by. 'I held up in my one hand my Bible and my copy of the Koran – it's my own personal copy of the Koran, in which all my notes are, my pages are highlighted, and stuff that I've studied in the Koran – and a man literally said to me, as he walked across from the shopping precinct, 'if you do not stop right now, I'm going to stab you',' he claimed. What happened next was captured on video and shared with The Telegraph. 'Three other men came up, identified as Muslims, and said to me they want my Koran. Their words to me were, 'this is not your book'. Meaning it's a book of their faith, and they tried to grab it from me.' He said: 'They made every attempt to grab it to such a point, imposing themselves upon me in a very dangerous way, where they pushed me off the ladder, I could have knocked my head on the sign board behind me.' Mr Moodley continued: 'The police arrived on the scene whilst these men were there, and did nothing about it. It smells of two-tier policing. It smells of the fact that there was a Muslim crowd there, and they did not want to upset this Muslim crowd.' He was told by Avon and Somerset Police on July 21 they would not pursue charges against the individual who allegedly threatened him. In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that following the incident on March 22, a man in his 20s attended a voluntary interview. No further action was initially taken, but after Mr Moodley submitted a victim's right to review, the case was reconsidered and referred to the CPS. A force spokesman added: 'The process is ongoing and therefore this remains a live police investigation. This has been recorded as a public order incident and a hate crime.' Mr Moodley is also considering fresh legal action against the force, supported by the ADFI, over what he claims is institutional hostility toward his Christian faith.
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Birmingham busking crackdown given green light
Plans to crack down on busking and street preaching in Birmingham city centre have been given the green a bid to tackle "excessive noise levels" in some streets, a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) will be introduced by the council, with a ban on using amplification equipment and musical instruments applying on the roads covered by the order will include Victoria Square, New Street, Temple Street, Cannon Street, Needless Alley and part of Waterloo unnamed busker had told a consultation it would make Birmingham the country's "least friendly city" for street performance. The order will focus on noise associated with busking, street entertaining, street preaching and public speaking affecting people living in the area and residents trying to relax at home and landlords attempting to let properties were being impacted, the council said this year. 'Better ways' Labour councillor Nicky Brennan said for some residents who may have sensory sensitivities, noise levels that were too loud could "cause increased anxiety, stress and mental fatigue".Conservative councillor Ewan Mackey said businesses in the city centre were "equally important" as Liberal Democrat Deborah Harries said: "Does Birmingham really want to be a city culturally that is […] not really interested in doing anything to protect its musical heritage in terms of The Crown [pub] and Station Street and bans the busker?"There must be better ways than this absolute hammer to crack a nut."The council's deputy leader, Labour's Sharon Thompson, said it was not true nothing was being done with regards to the pub known as the birthplace of Black said she knew "we are doing things around Station Street".Several businesses backed the PSPO plan with some telling how city centre busking was taking a toll on workers and driving away customers.A number of buskers said compromises could be reached, with one suggesting the council adopted a model similar to that of Busk in London with respect to basic council director of regulation and enforcement Sajeela Naseer said London had a "specific piece of legislation".Cabinet members approved the declaration of the PSPO and that officers should explore the feasibility of a 'consent/permitting scheme' for city centre busking. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Reuters
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Fact Check: Context missed from comparison touted as evidence of UK's two-tier religious freedom
A side-by-side comparison of two videos - one showing police taking a street preacher's microphone and another of a man reciting the Islamic call to prayer from a London landmark – misses context in online posts that claim it is evidence of a two-tier system of religious freedom in Britain. 'British police take away Christian preacher's microphone because his prayers were causing anxiety to some,' said a June 9 post, opens new tab on Facebook sharing screenshots of the two videos. 'Muslims can do what they want, they don't seem to cause anxiety,' the post added, referring to the call to prayer. 'UK is lost.' A similar post on X, opens new tab received 1 million views. However, a spokesperson for Sussex Police said in an email the preacher had his microphone briefly removed so a police officer could talk to him. The microphone was later returned to him, the spokesperson added, as evidenced by a fuller version, opens new tab of the video, at timecode 02:59., opens new tab In a statement, Sussex Police said officers were called to London Road, Brighton, on March 10, amid reports of hate speech being broadcast. Officers spoke to a man performing a speech, but no offences were identified. Police left the scene without taking any action and the man was not arrested. The European Convention on Human Rights, opens new tab guarantees freedoms of religion (article 9) and expression (article 10) in the UK, meaning street preaching is lawful. However, if the speech is threatening or abusive or causes hatred, it may constitute an offence under the Public Order Act 1986, opens new tab. Nevertheless, the law does not make a distinction between religions, James Holt, an associate professor of religious education at the University of Chester, said in an interview with Reuters. The second video - the subject of a separate Reuters fact-check article in 2021 - shows British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur Kazi Rahman reciting the call to prayer from Tower Bridge. A spokesperson for Tower Bridge said in an email that organisers of the recital - which happened on May 7, 2021, to mark the last Friday of Ramadan - had sought permission from the City of London Corporation in April 2021. The City of London Corporation declined to comment. The preacher in Brighton did not respond to a request for comment. Missing context. Police temporarily removed the Brighton preacher's microphone, and a longer version of the video shows it was returned. Permission for the Tower Bridge Islamic call to prayer was sought and granted at least a week before the recital. This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.
