A Christian pastor and preacher is considering legal action against the police after being arrested for “inciting religious hatred” under the Public Order Act 1986 while preaching peacefully in the streets of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

Dia Moodley has been arrested multiple times, assaulted by members of the public, and visited at his home by the police, all for sharing his Christian beliefs in the public square.

On this occasion, in November last year, he was talking about the differences between Islam and Christianity and sharing his views on transgender ideology. As a result he was arrested and held in a cell for eight hours. Upon his release, he was banned from entering the city until the end of the year.

That condition was subsequently overturned after petitioning from Pastor Moodley, with the support the Alliance Defending Freedom, a key ally of HRLA.

Meanwhile, the men who assaulted Moodley for criticising Islam in March 2025 have not faced charges while he continues to face pressure from police.

Moodley told the ADF:

I am a law-abiding citizen and it feels surreal that the police have criminalised me so harshly and repeatedly merely for peacefully expressing my Christian views in the public square.

Unfortunately, I believe that the police view me, a Christian pastor, as an easy target and are afraid of others being offended by my lawful speech. This is two-tier policing in action.

Laws such as the Public Order Act and other “hate speech” laws around the world threaten to stifle freedom of speech, expression, and religion. But while this threat is clear enough, the selective enforcement of such laws creates a two-tier approach to policing that targets only certain opinions and significantly threatens natural justice.

As Legal Counsel for ADF International Jeremiah Igunnubole said:

This is far from an isolated incident. It is part of a clear pattern of behaviour from Avon and Somerset Police, who for years have targeted Pastor Dia for his peaceful expression in the public square and have failed in their duty to investigate serious crimes committed against him, by those who objected to his speech.   

The police must stop their two-tier approach of criminalising lawful speech. There has long been a pressing need for Parliament to pass legislation to ensure the right to freedom of expression is robustly protected in this country.

ADF continues to work with Pastor Moodley as he considers taking action due to what he believes is a targeted effort by police to attack his free speech rights.