Street Preacher Arrested for Comment on Homosexuality as a Sin
Street Preacher Dale McAlpine was arrested after stating to a passersby that homosexuality was a sin. After seven hours in a police cell, McAlpine was released. (video footage available!)
According to the Telegraph, on April 20, 2010, police arrested Christian street preacher Dale McAlpine who had been passing out leaflets and talking to passersby about his beliefs. McAlpine said in a discussion with a woman that "homosexuality is a sin." A "homosexual police community support officer" approached the woman and spoke with her before confronting McAlpine. Police took McAlpine away in a van and locked him in a cell for seven hours. They charged him with violating Sections 5(1) and (6) of the 1986 Public Order Act and released him on bail on the condition that he not preach in public. On May 13, 2010, the CPS dropped the charges. In December, Dale McAlpine won £7,000 plus costs from Cumbria Police in settlement for wrongful arrest, unlawful imprisonment and breach of his human rights. The police have accepted they acted unlawfully. Source US International Religious Freedom Report 2010: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/148995.htm View here the arrest taped by a hidden camera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12LtOKQ8U7c View here a 2-min-newspiece of the case produced by the Christian Institute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URCDBxVKWO8