UK: Christian anti-gay activist acquitted over Tesco leaflets
A Christian activist has been found not guilty of a public order offence after he handed out leaflets for the group Christian Voice that criticised Tesco’s decision to donate £30,000 to this year’s World Pride.
Dartford Magistrates Court dismissed Mr Bhachoo’s case yesterday morning.
Stephen Green, national director of Christian Voice, who previously described World Pride as a “display of depravity,” said in a statement:
“Christians just keep winning these Section 5 freedom of speech cases. It is not against the law to preach against sodomy, to tell the public the facts about homosexual lifestyles, nor to display graphic images of the effects of abortion.
Mr Green added: “These things might upset people, but they are not threatening, they are not abusive, they are not insulting and they are not against the law”.
In a rare display of unity, several anti-gay faith groups along with prominent human rights campaigners, including Peter Tatchell, have jointly called on the government to reform Section 5 of the Public Order Act.
Mr Tatchell took part in a Section 5 protest outside parliament, earlier this month.
He argued that it was wrong to criminalise “insults” and that in a free society people should be allowed to cause offense.
The Act has been the subject of a Home Office consultation.
