Christian pastor threatened with arrest after being assaulted for peaceful preaching  

  • Pastor Dia Moodley was assaulted by Muslim bystanders who objected to his peaceful preaching in Bristol. One man threatened to stab the pastor
  • Police twice threatened to arrest Pastor Moodley for ‘public order offences’. Prior to this incident, the pastor spoke with the US State Department about his previous experience as a victim of censorship in the UK
  • ADF International supports Pastor Moodley’s action against Avon and Somerset Police, which includes a complaint regarding their treatment of him and their failure to promptly investigate serious crimes against him
  • Help support Pastor Moodley’s fight for free speech here.

BRISTOL (2 August 2025) – Police threatened to arrest a Christian pastor for “public order offences”, after he was assaulted by Muslim men who objected to his preaching in Bristol.

One of the men threatened to stab Pastor Dia Moodley, who was preaching in Bristol city centre about the differences between Christianity and Islam while holding a Quran.

Avon and Somerset Police officers responded by threatening to arrest the pastor twice for “breaching the peace”, despite the fact that the men had pinned the Christian to the floor and tried to take the Quran from his hands, which they said was their book, not his.

Pastor Moodley met with the US State Department prior to this incident and spoke about his previous experience as a victim of censorship in the UK, at a meeting facilitated ADF International.

On previous occasions, the police tried to censor the pastor’s preaching and last year arrested him for commenting on Islam.

ADF International supports Pastor Moodley’s action against Avon and Somerset Police, which includes a complaint concerning the most recent incident, regarding the police’s treatment of him and their failure to promptly investigate serious crimes against him.

With the help of ADF International, Pastor Moodley is also taking an action for compensation against Avon and Somerset Police, for his signs, which were destroyed under police instruction following his arrest last year.

In a vindication for Pastor Moodley, the police apologised for the destruction of his signs and reiterated that apology after he submitted a complaint with the support of ADF International.

Pastor Moodley said: “I preach in public because I believe all people, including Muslims, need to know that Jesus Christ is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life’. I always do so respectfully, out of love for my neighbour.

“Unfortunately, on this occasion a group of Muslim men objected to my preaching and reacted with violence. It’s shocking that the police initially said I had breached the peace. This shows yet again that two-tier policing, which targets the expression of Christians, is a reality in modern day Britain.

“My case is evidence of the severe free speech crisis in the UK, which has increasingly been making headlines and has even attracted expressions of alarm from the United States.”

Lorcán Price, an Irish barrister and Legal Counsel for ADF International, said: “We are proud to stand alongside Pastor Moodley in his fight for free speech. His experience shows clearly the extent to which the right to free speech has deteriorated in the UK, including with the imposition of de facto blasphemy laws that target Christian expression, through public order and other legislation.

“All in favour of free speech must support repealing censorial legislation and introducing stronger protections for freedom of expression in the UK. Otherwise, innocent people like Pastor Moodley will be forced out of the public square or face unjust criminalisation for their peaceful expression.”

 

Background

On 22 March, Pastor Moodley engaged in street preaching in Bristol city centre, where he spoke about the differences between Jesus and Mohammed, while holding a Quran.

A crowd gathered and a number of Muslim men took offence at Pastor Moodley’s preaching, with one man threatening to stab him and another attempting to punch his wife.

The bystanders then proceeded to try to forcibly take Pastor Moodley’s Quran. They pushed him off his ladder, pinned him to the floor, and claimed the Quran was their book, not his.

In response, police officers told Pastor Moodley on two separate occasions that he would be arrested for a breach of the peace—despite the fact that he had been the victim of crime.

Meanwhile, the man who had threatened to stab Pastor Moodley continued to make threats in the presence of the officers.

That man was not arrested or questioned at the scene and no details of any of the Muslim men who had assaulted Pastor Moodley were taken on the day of the incident.

Members of the public intervened strongly to the police on Pastor Moodley’s behalf to say that he had done nothing wrong or hateful.

A Senior Inspector then arrived and told Pastor Moodley, contrary to what the other officers had said previously, that there was no chance he would be arrested.

 

Avon and Somerset Police’s past targeting of Pastor Moodley

In March of last year, Pastor Moodley was arrested after preaching about the differences between Christianity and Islam in Bristol, despite the fact that he was the victim of assault on that occasion.

He was arrested on suspicion of committing “racially or religiously aggravated harassment without violence” under Section 31(1)(c) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. He was held for 13 hours in a police cell.

This incident came after Avon and Somerset Police previously conceded restrictions they placed on Pastor Moodley, preventing him from “passing comments on any other religion” besides Christianity, were “disproportionate”, after these were challenged with the support of ADF International and Free Speech Union.

Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only. Please credit ADF International.

The first three pictures are of Pastor Moodley’s arrest in March 2024, for peacefully preaching. 

The sixth picture is of Pastor Moodley and Jeremiah Igunnubole, barrister and Legal Counsel for ADF International.

The last picture is of Lorcán Price, Irish barrister and Legal Counsel for ADF International.

‘Two-tier policing’: Pastor arrested and held in police cell for 13 hours after commenting on Islam and affirming sex is binary while street preaching

  • Pastor and grandfather Dia Moodley assaulted by member of public and
    then arrested
  • Avon and Somerset Police apologise after Mr Moodley’s signs,
    including one with Bible text, destroyed under their instruction
  • Mr Moodley pursuing complaint against police with support of ADF UK

BRISTOL (10 October 2024) –A Christian pastor was arrested after commenting on Islam and affirming that sex is binary while street preaching outside Bristol University. 

“Two-tier policing is sadly not a fiction or some conspiracy theory, it’s a reality that Christians in the UK have been experiencing for years."

- Dia Moodley, Pastor

After being assaulted by a member of the public, Dia Moodley was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police and held for 13 hours in a police cell for contrasting Christianity and Islam in response to a question. The arresting officer said Mr Moodley did this during Ramadan.

The investigation into Mr Moodley was dropped after legal representations were made to the police with the support of ADF UK, a faith-based legal advocacy organisation.

Also with the help of ADF UK, Mr Moodley is pursuing a complaint against the police for his treatment by them, including for the destruction of his four signs, one of which included Bible text, under their instruction after his arrest.

Avon and Somerset Police has already apologised to Mr Moodley for instructing staff at Bristol University to dispose of the signs.

Reacting to the incident, Mr Moodley said: “Two-tier policing is sadly not a fiction or some conspiracy theory, it’s a reality that Christians in the UK have been experiencing for years.

“It shouldn’t be for the state to decide which religions and ideologies must not be discussed or critiqued in the public street. The result is the normalisation of a two-tier society where some beliefs and ideologies are valued and protected, while others are undermined and outlawed.

“The world is looking at the dismal state of free speech in the UK with shock. What happened to me reflects a wider trend of increasing state censorship in the UK and across the West.”

Property destroyed

Surprisingly, this arrest came after Avon and Somerset Police previously conceded restrictions they placed on Mr Moodley preventing him from “passing comments on any other religion” besides Christianity were “disproportionate,” after these were challenged with the support of ADF UK and Free Speech Union.

After his arrest, Mr Moodley’s four signs were disposed of by university staff under the instruction of Avon and Somerset Police officers.

Avon and Somerset Police apologised for the destruction of his property. One officer told Mr Moodley in an email: “I’m sorry to advise that the signs were handed to… the UoB [University of Bristol] for them to dispose of.

“I cannot comment as to why this decision was made (as I was not present at the time), however I would like to apologise on behalf of my colleagues….

“Again, I am sincerely sorry that this action [sic].”

With the support of ADF UK, Mr Moodley is pursuing a complaint against the police for his treatment by them, including for the destruction of his signs under their instruction.

Barrister and legal counsel for ADF UK Jeremiah Igunnubole said: “We are glad Avon and Somerset Police dropped their investigation into Pastor Dia.

“But the fact that he was arrested, held in police custody for 13 hours, and had his property destroyed with the encouragement of Avon and Somerset police is objectively appalling. Nobody should be subject to discriminatory treatment for peacefully and lawfully sharing their core beliefs.

“In this case, Pastor Dia was himself a victim of crime, including assault, aggressive harassment and criminal damage and yet, perversely, he was the one treated as a criminal for peacefully exercising his fundamental rights.

“Everyone must be treated equally under the law. Freedom of speech cannot be the preserve of those expressing socially progressive ideals. In a democratic society, everyone must have the right to peacefully express their core beliefs, even when those beliefs are considered controversial or criticise other religions and belief systems.”

Assaulted and arrested

On the day he was arrested in March, in response to a question from a Muslim man, Mr Moodley stated his belief that there are differences between the moral standards of the God of Islam and the Christian God.

While preaching, Mr Moodley also expressed his view that God created human beings male and female and said this truth should not be denied.

Later on, an unknown person pushed him from his short stepladder, and another snatched a sign from his hand, causing him a severe soft tissue injury.

Three young people then trampled on his sign and refused to return it when asked.

Shortly after this incident, police arrived and arrested Mr Moodley for the views he had shared, despite the fact that he had been a victim of assault and criminal damage.

Avon and Somerset Police arrested Mr Moodley on suspicion of committing “racially or religiously aggravated harassment without violence” under Section 31(1)(c) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Mr Igunnubole commented on the arrest: “Christians in the UK have long suffered from two-tier policing simply for living out and sharing their Biblical beliefs. This should alarm anyone concerned with free speech, religious freedom, and the protection of democracy.

“Our free speech laws should be strengthened, and we urge Sir Keir Starmer to do so, to prevent what happened here from ever occurring again.”

Not an isolated incident

Mr Moodley has previously faced assault and intimidation on multiple occasions by members of the public who objected to his preaching.

Footage from one of these incidents went viral in July on X.

One of the men who intimidated Mr Moodley in that footage made a shocking video, where he can be seen with an Antifa tattoo and flag in the background, after the incident.

In the video, he misrepresented what Mr Moodley said and stated: “I did what I did and I don’t… regret it.”

Read more about Mr Moodley’s previous win against “disproportionate” restrictions on his free speech by Avon and Somerset Police Force here.

Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only

Police settle case brought by Christian pastor they tried to forbid from “commenting on any other religion”

  • Christian leader receives settlement from police who wrongfully tried to ban him from criticising alternative worldviews, such as atheism and Islam
  • Avon & Somerset Police concede their restrictions on expression were “disproportionate” after successful challenge backed by ADF International and the Free Speech Union

BRISTOL (27 February 2024) – Avon & Somerset Police Force have conceded their restrictions on free speech were “disproportionate” after unlawfully censoring Christian leader, Dia Moodley, a Bristol-based pastor and father of four.

The police force had issued a warning notice to Moodley, who has engaged in occasional street evangelism for the past five years, which forbade him from, inter alia, “passing comments on any other religion or comparing them to Christianity” and “passing comments on beliefs held by Atheists or those who believe in evolution”.

A claim for damages was backed by ADF UK and Free Speech Union, who instructed solicitors from Ai Law.

“It isn’t for the police to decide which religions or worldviews can be free from criticism. When I preach, I am committed to speaking about the good news of Christianity in love, grace, and truth – but that doesn’t mean that I will never say something that others may disagree with. The nature of a free and democratic society is that we can speak publicly about our beliefs.

Thankfully, with support from ADF UK and the Free Speech Union, I have received some measure of justice after having been wrongfully silenced by authorities. But this creeping culture of censorship is detrimental to all of us in society, whatever we believe, and we must challenge it wherever we see it,” commented Dia Moodley, who successfully challenged police after they forbade him from speaking freely about his Christian beliefs – and comparing them to other religious views – in public.

A breach of free speech

Moodley had initially reached out to the Avon & Sommerset Police Force after being the victim of several incidents of racial abuse, at the advice of Bristol-based charity Stand Against Racism and Inequality. Officers began to regularly attend Moodley’s public preaching in order to protect both the pastor and his congregation.

In October 2021, Moodley arranged a meeting with the neighbourhood police force in order to maintain good working relations. However, at this meeting, the pastor was served with the warning notice, which he refused to sign.

In addition to forbidding criticism of religions other than Christianity, the warning notice further encroached on Moodley’s right to freedom of expression by banning him from “delivering a sermon or religious address at a time or place that has not had prior consent and approval of Avon & Somerset Constabulary.”

Backed by ADF International and the Free Speech Union, Moodley successfully challenged the Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police for discrimination on religious grounds and for breaching his ECHR rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; freedom of expression; and freedom of assembly and association.

Commenting on the case, Bryn Harris, Chief Legal Officer for the Free Speech Union, said: “The state does not hold a monopoly on truth and the ability to discuss and debate ideas, including religious ideas, is the lifeblood of any genuinely free society. Yet, repeatedly, we see this principle violated by unaccountable police officers and local councils who aggressively pursue their own ideological causes rather than using scarce public resources to tackle real crime.”

Upon receiving news of the settlement, Jeremiah Igunnubole, Legal Counsel for ADF UK, said, “Dia Moodley’s case exposes a clear double standard in British policing when the issue concerns the expression of core beliefs; particularly Christian beliefs. Bristol authorities unabashedly requested prior review of Dia’s sermons and banned him from speaking about any other religion – including atheism. This blatantly restricted his freedom of religion and speech in an attempt to redefine established British values in accordance with their own ideals.

Whilst we welcome the police force’s admission that their actions were disproportionate, it is crucial that the laws permitting such flagrant violations of freedom of speech are urgently addressed to prevent the need for Dia and others like him from being embroiled in years of legal proceedings only to defend what should have instantly been recognised as their lawful, peaceful and constitutional rights to speak freely in public.”

Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only