Street preacher Olu Ilesanmi was offered £2,500 from the Metropolitan Police in July, in relation to his false arrest, imprisonment and unlawful detention in February.
Olu has handed in a petition to the Home Office, signed by over 40,000 people, calling for the government, the police and London Mayor to do more to protect Christian street preachers and freedom of speech.
In February, a video showing the arrest of street preacher Olu, 64, was watched by millions. Officers were shown forcibly handcuffing him, claiming that he was breaching the peace and had made ‘Islamophobic comments.’
A petition was launched calling on the Home Secretary to investigate the guidance and training given to police officers nationwide. Street preacher Olu delivered the petition on 30 July at the Home Office to Home Secretary Priti Patel, as well as to London City Hall.
The Christian Legal Centre, which assisted the preacher throughout the case, has written to chief constables across the country, asking them to uphold the freedom of street preachers. This letter was delivered to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick.
Pastor Olu had authorised the Christian Legal Centre to write a pre-action letter to the Metropolitan Police. In response, the police force has agreed the sum of £2,500 in damages.
The Christian Institute has also reported that its intervention has benefitted Christian street preachers. Last June, Avon and Somerset Police wrongly issued a dispersal order to Dale McAlpine and a group of fellow street preachers, threatening them with arrest for preaching in Bath during their annual tour.
But, following assistance at that time from The Christian Institute, police forces are now showing a better understanding of free speech and the rights of street preachers to proclaim the gospel. McAlpine and his fellow street preachers have since conducted this year’s tour without police intervention.
