Street Preacher Asked to Stop Activity

Case information
Incident date
Country
United Kingdom
Categories
  • Government Restrictions
Attack Against
  • Faith
Societal Sphere
  • Governmental
Religious Freedom / Discrimination
  • Exclusion (of individuals or ideas)
  • Freedom of Expression

The St Edmundsbury Borough Council told open air preacher, Brian Dee, who had been preaching in the marketplace in Bury St Edmunds for over 10 years, that he was not allowed, under a local bye-law aimed at reducing litter, to distribute tracts. A strongly worded letter was sent to the Council warning that Mr Dee had a right to preach and distribute tracts and if the Council continued to interfere with his rights legal action would be taken. The Council backed down conceding that there was no evidence that Mr Dee had caused a litter problem and accepted that he could continue preaching and distributing tracts.