A street preacher in the United Kingdom was arrested after criticizing Islam and expressing biblical views on gender identity, marking the latest in a series of encounters with police that have fueled debate over free speech protections in the country.
Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF International), a conservative legal advocacy group, said in a statement Monday that Pastor Dia Moodley was taken into custody by Avon and Somerset Police while preaching in Bristol city centre on Nov. 22. According to the organization, the arrest followed remarks in which Moodley discussed Christianity in comparison with other religions, including Islam, and affirmed what he described as a “gender binary.”
Authorities arrested Moodley on suspicion of breaching a section of the Public Order Act 1986 that prohibits “inciting religious hatred.” ADF International stated that the complaint originated after a couple objected to the pastor’s comments about transgender-identifying individuals and contacted police.
Officers reportedly gathered statements from those who objected to the speech before arresting Moodley on suspicion of “inciting religious hatred” and committing a “religiously aggravated” offense. He was held for approximately eight hours before being released on bail conditions that barred him from entering Bristol city centre during the Christmas season.
Although prosecutors later dropped the initial charges, police visited Moodley’s home in January to question him further about the November incident and invited him to attend a voluntary interview. According to ADF International, he remains uncertain whether additional charges could be brought.
Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF International, argued that the case reflects a broader concern about the application of public order laws. He said police are using public order legislation to impose “de facto blasphemy laws in the UK.” Igunnubole added that Moodley’s situation “is far from an isolated incident” and described it as “part of a clear pattern” of targeting the pastor for his “peaceful expression in the public square.”
The attorney further contended that officers “[have failed in their duty to investigate serious crimes committed against him, by those who objected to his speech.”
Moodley has had prior interactions with law enforcement. In March 2024, he was arrested after making similar remarks concerning Islam and biological sex. On that occasion, he spent 13 hours in custody, and students reportedly took the signs he was holding from nearby Bristol University.
During another preaching event in Bristol, Moodley said he faced hostility from bystanders, including a Muslim individual who allegedly threatened to stab him and others who reportedly pinned him to the ground and attempted to take a Quran he was holding. He had brought the Quran, he said, to illustrate theological differences between Christianity and Islam.
According to ADF International, when officers arrived at the scene, they did not immediately detain those who allegedly threatened or assaulted him. A senior inspector later assured Moodley that he would not be arrested at that time. The pastor subsequently filed a complaint regarding police conduct.
