‘Christianity-free zones’?: UK Police say Gospel must only be shared in ‘safe area’ like a chaplaincy

– NEW viral clip shows UK police tell retired pastor and grandfather he must only share the Gospel in a “safe area”, not on the street where it may be perceived as an attempt to dissuade people from having an abortion.

– US government has called the case an “egregious violation” of fundamental rights to free speech and religion.

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COLERAINE, N. Ireland (29 April 2026) – Free speech campaigners have raised the alarm after a viral clip emerged this week of UK police officers informing a grandfather and retired pastor that he may only preach from the Bible in a “safe area” like a chaplaincy – not on a street where passers-by may hear him and misinterpret him.

The pastor was criminally charged for preaching at an open-air Sunday service outside a hospital where a “buffer zone” is in place to prevent anyone from “influencing” someone’s decision about abortion.

This is despite the fact that the pastor did not mention abortion, and had been told that no abortions took place on Sunday at that hospital.

In the bodycam footage, which was used in court during the trial, the police officer is clearly heard telling the pastor he must only conduct religious communications within a “safe area” – like the hospital chaplaincy – and not on the street, where it could affect passers-by.

Prosecutor David McNeill told the court, “there is no prohibition on holding a religious service, except by the legislation in this very limited location”.

This was the clearest statement yet of the claim that the zones, which extend in a 100-150m radius around eight abortion centres in Northern Ireland (including in Belfast city centre), do criminalise religious services regardless of whether abortion is mentioned.

The trial concluded on Wednesday 22 April, with a ruling expected on Thursday 7 May.

The US State Department issued a statement on the case and other instances of “buffer zone” laws being used to unjustly prosecute Christians, commenting:

“The United States is still monitoring many ‘buffer zone’ cases in the UK, as well as other acts of censorship across Europe. The UK’s persecution of silent prayer represents not only an egregious violation of the fundamental right to free speech and religious liberty, but also a concerning departure from the shared values that ought to underpin US-UK relations.”

The pastor is being supported in the action by The Christian Institute, which successfully assisted Ashers Baking Co. in its landmark Supreme Court win against the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in the ‘Gay Cake Case’.

Its Director, Ciarán Kelly, said:

“The reaction of police officers to the mere preaching of the Gospel is absurd. That the prosecution should believe that abortion buffer zones outlaw religious services is extraordinary. It is not the role of the State to dictate when and where citizens may hear the Christian message of hope in Christ. It was clear from police video, and accepted by prosecutors, that Clive did not engage in any kind of harassment or obstruction or anti-abortion messaging. He held a simple open-air church gathering, allowing passers-by the opportunity to join and listen if they wished. Why shouldn’t members of the public be able to decide for themselves about the content they wish to engage with?

“The stakes in this case are high. If you can be guilty of ‘influencing’ somebody’s decision about abortion, without having engaged in any dialogue about abortion, but merely because you spoke about an unrelated Bible passage, it begs the question whether Christians may share their faith at all in one of these buffer zones. Could somebody attending the hospital wearing a cross necklace be accused of influencing? What if somebody was to pray silently for a sick relative? Are Christians guilty of a crime merely by their association with certain beliefs about unborn life, even when those beliefs are not expressed?

“This case raises serious questions about whether UK law is seeking to impose Christianity-free zones around hospitals. We stand with Clive and support his defence because simply sharing the Gospel should not be considered a crime.”

Notes for editors:
• Mr Johnston was not arrested. He was simply cautioned on 7 July 2024 and later notified of prosecution by way of a summons.
• The penalty for breaking the law is a fine, not jail.
• He is not accused of harassment or impeding access to a clinic but of intentionally influencing a protected person, or being reckless as to whether his actions had that effect.
• Police bodycam footage from the incident is available here, which can be used in your own coverage (footage available in other formats on request): https://youtu.be/gHrqleYO-b8?si=CExLH8PwsCqwtP13
• Extract from on-camera exchange between Clive and the police: https://x.com/i/status/2046858116688499019 – Comments at 0:58

Inspector O’Brien: “There is an area in the hospital, chaplaincy, a safe area, an area for people to, if they wish somebody to give them religious guidance or comfort or help, that they could ask you to go and you could go in and do that. But while you’re out here in the safe access zone, any act in that area which may dissuade any protected person from availing of services, harassment or causing distress is an offence”.