Video footage has shown the moment a female police officer was confronted in east London and told: ”This is a Muslim area.”
The video, filmed in Whitechapel, shows the officer defending a Christian preacher’s freedom of speech while being surrounded by a group of men.
The encounter, filmed in Whitechapel Road, has been widely shared on social media, and appears to have been shot last Monday, a day before the beginning of Ramadan.
In the footage, uploaded to YouTube channel Auditing Britain, a man holding a Bible can be heard preaching the Gospel just yards from the East London Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Western Europe, accommodating up to 7,000 worshippers for daily prayers.
The officer tells the group: “I understand that you guys don't want to hear it, so I would just recommend that you walk away and don't listen to him. He's not in your home.”
A man wearing a facemask can be seen replying: “This is Whitechapel, this is a Muslim area.”
People are seen yelling at the preacher, with one bearded man shouting: “Talk about Jesus, don't talk about Muhammad”, and another shouting “Your God is a Jew.”
One man accuses the preacher of “spreading hatred”, alleging that he was calling the Black Stone in the sacred Kaaba building in Mecca “a box”.
The preacher is also physically attacked by one man wearing a black duffel coat and mask, who shoves him in the back, causing him to stumble forward.
The officer continues to defend the preacher, explaining to the group: “In this country we have freedom of speech, the same way you guys have your freedom of speech.
“You guys don't need to see eye-to-eye, and you don't need to agree. You're all more than welcome to stand here and have conversations with them, but they're not being aggressive.”
She adds: “I understand that you guys don't want to hear it, so I would recommend that you just move away and don't listen to him.”
The latest census shows that 52.2% of the 18,841 people who live in Whitechapel are Muslim.
When another man approaches the officer, complaining that the preacher is in their community, she responds: “You guys can preach about your religion the same way he is.”
The officer has been praised for her handling of the situation, with the video racking up over 150,000 views.
One commenter wrote: “The female Police Officer was first class, so good to hear one with common sense and knowledge of the Law. We need more like her.”
Another said: “I have contacted the Met commending her and asking them to reward her for her model policing.”
The Standard has contacted the Met Police for comment.
