A Christian road preacher who was arrested after protesting Islam within the wake of the London Bridge terrorist assault in 2017 has had his enchantment rejected by the Excessive Court docket.
Ian Sleeper was arrested below Part 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 for inflicting “harassment, alarm, and misery” after displaying an indication that stated “Love Muslims, Hate Islam, Jesus is love and hope”.
He was held for 13 hours earlier than being launched with out cost. He later sued the police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment however misplaced and appealed.
In its ruling on Tuesday, the Excessive Court docket stated his arrest was justified as a result of threat of public dysfunction due to tensions following the 2017 assaults. The Christian Authorized Centre (CLC), which supported Mr Sleeper in his authorized motion, stated there was no proof of such a threat.
The CLC known as Tuesday’s ruling “a regarding setback to the correct of free speech” and alleged “two-tier policing” in the direction of Mr Sleeper after officers did not take motion in opposition to pro-Palestine protesters calling for jihad in opposition to Israel throughout latest protests.
Mr Sleeper stated the way in which he was handled was “fully fallacious” and that he plans to enchantment.
“The police have by no means apologised and proceed to imagine that what they did was proper,” he stated.
“Latest occasions in London following the battle within the Center East has [sic] uncovered that anybody protesting Israel and calling for violence wouldn’t be handled as I used to be by the police.
“There isn’t any consistency in policing over these issues and what has occurred to me and on our streets up to now month needs to be of grave concern to many.
“I’ll proceed to pursue justice on this matter for so long as it takes and am happy to have the chance to enchantment the earlier ruling.”
CLC chief government Andrea Williams stated that police motion in opposition to Mr Sleeper was “disproportionate”.
“What occurred to Mr Sleeper in 2017 has been prophetic for what we now see on London’s streets throughout pro-Hamas protests,” she stated.
“The police have upheld the correct for Islamic protesters to name for genocide with out interference, and anybody who counter-protests and disagrees faces the total power of the legislation.
“Ian explicitly stated ‘love Muslims’ … How are you going to be free to criticise Islam in public if the phrases you imply and explicitly say are ignored within the courts?”
