Crowds cheer as police arrest hate preacher raging against ‘homosexuals’ and ‘whoremongers’
A 40-year-old preacher was arrested in Leeds city centre in August after being confronted by a large crowd because of his hate-filled views about the LGBT+ community and premarital sex. (Leeds Live)
Crowds in Leeds cheered as a preacher who attacked the LGBT+ community and premarital sex was arrested in the city centre.
The cheerful moment was caught on camera by Leeds Live reporter Mellissa Dzini, who also recorded the preacher’s hateful tirade from atop a foldable ladder.
According to Leeds Live, the 40-year-old man was arrested in Briggate – one of the main pedestrian shopping streets in Leeds city centre – after making disparaging comments about the LGBT+ community and marriage.
In the video, the preacher can be heard speaking out against people that he believed “shall not inherit the kingdom of God”.
“The Bible says the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God,” he said in the footage.
“Be not deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
He also preached women who have premarital sex are “practising whoredom” and men who do the same are “whoremongers”.
Multiple people confronted the preacher over his horrendous views, and eventually, crowds gathered to challenge him.
But eventually, West Yorkshire Police escorted the man down from his box and led him away as the gathered crowds erupted in cheers and clapped at the preacher’s departure.
One person even shouted his thanks to the police, adding “get rid of him”.
“We can all get back now,” he added.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police confirmed to Leeds Live that a 40-year-old man had been arrested “in relation to public order offences”.
Leeds takes a stand against hate
In June, Leeds Live reported one preacher was arrested after he claimed that “homosexuality is an abomination”. The man with the microphone claimed that “lesbianism is [an] unnatural and vile passion”.
One witness told the news outlet that a huge crowd began to defend the LGBT+ community against the vile rants.
A month later, two women staged an impromptu kiss-in while a crowd cheered, drowning out yet another preacher’s vitriolic hate in Leeds city centre. This time, the hate-filled preacher called on shoppers to “repent” and “turn from your wicked ways”.
Spoiler alert, they didn’t, and crowds defiantly faced off against the preacher.
