A pastor held a public Easter sermon in Bristol despite fears of being arrested for a third time.

On April 5, 2026, it was reported that 58-year-old Dia Moodley was arrested in November on suspicion of „inciting religious hatred” after he criticized Islam and transgender ideology during a street sermon, according to his legal representatives. The father of four claims that the Avon and Somerset police questioned him about why he chose to preach in an area where Muslims are present.

„I was arrested for something completely ridiculous. I did nothing wrong, yet here I am, preaching again at Easter,” he said. Moodley argues that Muslims can gather for public prayers in London without facing consequences, while he is threatened with arrest for preaching Christianity. He described this inequality as indicative of a „two-tier police system.”

Moodley was arrested on November 22 on suspicion of a public order offense aggravated by racial or religious hostility, as well as assault by beating. A video shows the pastor pushing away a passerby who reached for his speaker’s cable.

According to his lawyers at the British organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF UK), police detained him after he compared Christian theology to other religions, including Islam, and spoke against transgender ideology, as reported by GB News. He was arrested under the Public Order Act of 1986 and spent eight hours in custody.

Following his release, he was prohibited from being in central Bristol until the end of December, although these restrictions were later lifted after his legal team submitted a petition to the police. Despite more than four months passing since his arrest, no charges have been brought against him.

Moodley claims that the police have targeted his street sermons multiple times over the past four years, during which he compared Christianity to Islam and addressed topics such as abortion and homosexuality.