A Christian street preacher was reportedly referred to Britain’s anti-terror police after saying a supposed “trans woman” was really a “man in women’s clothes”.
David McConnell, a Christian preacher, had already been convicted of “harassment” in a UK court last year over the incident, in which the preacher was sentenced to 12 months community service with 80 hours of unpaid work after saying the transgender person was real a “gentleman” and a “man in women’s clothing”.
The Christian man was preaching at the time of the incident, with his sermons reportedly leading to him being assaulted, assaulted and even having some of his belongings stolen by passersby, before he was arrested by British police, seemingly because of his decision to embrace his religious beliefs.
However, it did not stop there with a report from the Daily mail revealed on Tuesday that the Christian man had also been reported to Britain’s Prevent counter-terrorism program for his views, which were considered sufficiently radical to contact them.
According to McConnell’s probation officer, the man was “considered to be constantly and illegally taking an extreme position” with his preaching, prompting the government official to “routinely” contact counter-terrorism police.
The revelation has outraged many Christians in the country, many of whom are already shocked by McConnell’s conviction for preaching his Christian beliefs.
“This case represents a disturbing trend in our society, with members of the public and professionals being prosecuted and reported as potential terrorists for refusing to celebrate and endorse LGBTQ ideology,” said Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Center. reportedly related to the case.
“The Bible clearly teaches that we are born male and female; this belief and the freedom to express it publicly without fear of being arrested or reported as a terrorist to Prevent must be protected,” she continued.
The Daily mail further reports that McConnell will appeal his conviction in 2021.
‘Populist conservatives’ funneled into UK anti-terror program at the expense of radical Islamist references, review finds https://t.co/xC4AAGDTtb
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 9, 2023
While disturbing to many Christians, the idea that Britain’s counter-terrorism initiatives were involved in the prosecution of a Christian street preacher is relatively unsurprising given the state of British law enforcement.
For example, a recent report found that the Prevent program, aimed at curbing terrorism in the country, disproportionately focused on ephemeral right-wing threats to public safety, so much so that officers repeatedly overlook threats stemming from radical Islam. had seen, apparently for fear of being labeled a racist.
The country is also now regularly cracking down on the practice of the Christian faith as a whole, with politicians writing to the Church of England demanding that it change its doctrine on same-sex marriage, while those who dare pray silently in the general environment of abortion clinics are often arrested for the thought crime.
The UK justice system was forced last month to clear two pro-life Christians of wrongdoing after police arrested them for silent prayer near an abortion facility over police failures to provide sufficient evidence that they did something wrong.
However, one of those acquitted by the court, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, has since reportedly been arrested again by police for silent prayer outside a facility.
‘Joining prayer is the offense’ – Pro-Life activist arrested for praying silently outside abortion facilityhttps://t.co/ISXMQA8iGw
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 7, 2023