Unite the Kingdom rally, another street preacher detained, Belfast March for Jesus, arrested for praying outside abortion clinic, and more…
by Andrew Halloway
Unite the Kingdom rally involved worship, prayer and Bible banner.
Among the enormous crowd at the London rally organised by far right campaigner Tommy Robinson on 13 September were a large number of Christians. Although the clashes of some marchers with the police generated negative headlines (25 arrests were reported when some marchers decided to challenge a masked ‘anti-racist’ counter-protest), the 150,000-strong rally included many Christian elements. Attendees estimated the actual number present to be up to a million, because Whitehall was filled.
Some marchers held wooden crosses aloft, others carried images of Jesus on flags and banners declaring ‘Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life’ and other Bible verses, as well as “not a few” Israeli flags, according to an Israeli news service. Jewish journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti reported in the Telegraph that he and a friend felt safe to wear their skull caps all day and were greeted with “Shalom” by fellow marchers.
“We must return to the faith that built our nations strong, and that faith is Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ is Lord of all nations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
The day ended with worship and prayer from the platform in Whitehall, before speeches by right-wing foreign politicians and Ben Habib, leader of the new Advance UK party, who is an Anglican. Premier reported that, when interviewed, some participants holding Christian imagery admitted they weren’t active churchgoers, but many others “clearly were”, despite warnings from some London church leaders that Christians shouldn’t attend because the march promoted division and racial intolerance.
The worship was led by Rikki Doolan of Spirit Embassy Church in north London, and Bishop Ceiron Dewar of the Confessing Anglican Church led the crowd in the Lord’s Prayer. Brian Tamaki, a Pentecostal leader from New Zealand, spoke from the platform. He told the crowds that it used to be “Christianity undergirding our democracies” until “we turned our back on God… We must return to the faith that built our nations strong, and that faith is Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ is Lord of all nations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”
BBC says its staff should not call Hamas terrorists
The BBC’s complaints unit has decided that Hamas should not be described as a “terror group”.
The broadcaster’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) ruled it was “inappropriate” that a presenter referred to Hamas in that way in a news programme on 15 June. The ECU said using that term would give the impression that the BBC was “taking sides” in the Israel/Hamas conflict. The decision comes despite Hamas being a proscribed terrorist group in the UK, and after the BBC has been criticised for putting its impartiality before telling the truth.
In the aftermath of the 7 October 2023 massacre, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak disagreed with the BBC’s policy, saying: “This is not a time for equivocation, we should call it out for what it is.” David Cameron agreed: “Maybe it’s a moment actually for the BBC to ask itself again, shall we describe these people as terrorists? They are terrorists.” Israel’s UK ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, says not labelling Hamas as terrorists means the broadcaster actually is “taking sides”
Street preacher escapes charges
A Christian street preacher arrested for criticising the Qur’an has had the charges against him dropped.
John Steele was arrested in Rotherham in June by four police officers after he refused to give police his name and address. He was detained, fingerprinted and DNA-swabbed and told he may have committed a ‘non-crime hate incident’.
Caption: Isabel Vaughan-Spruce – suffering police harassment for silent prayer
Credit: ADF
Pro-lifer investigated yet again
March for Life Co-director Isabel Vaughan-Spruce is being investigated by police again, despite two previous failed attempts to criminalise her. Campaign group CitizenGo says: “The police have turned from protecting the public to policing opinion. From dawn raids and interrogations over social media posts to the ongoing harassment of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the establishment is steadily criminalising not just speech but even private belief and prayer.”
Vaughan-Spruce was first arrested in an abortion centre’s ‘buffer zone’ in 2022, but the case collapsed when prosecutors failed to produce any evidence of a crime. All charges were dropped after a second arrest and six-month investigation by West Midlands Police. Last year, the police apologised and paid her £13,000 in damages for two wrongful arrests. This time a police officer claimed that Vaughan-Spruce’s “mere presence” in a buffer zone may be construed as “harassment, alarm and distress”, simply because she is known to be a pro-lifer. (Photo, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce praying publicly. Credit, ADF)
Belfast March for Jesus unites Christians
Between 5,000 and 8,000 people took part in Belfast’s annual March for Jesus on Saturday 23 August, according to Prophecy Today. Marchers mainly came from Northern Ireland but there were also some from the Republic, and from all denominations – including some Catholics. The organisers say they were delighted to see “so many people from so many backgrounds and people from north and south just coming together to honour Jesus Christ.” The police reported no incidents.
Caption: Sadiq Khan is accused of ignoring crimes against children
Credit: Ввласенко/Wikimedia
TIM CAN YOU GET A STILL OF WEDGER FROM THE VIDEO PLEASE?
https://youtu.be/QVQUNa_Zte0?t=1294
Caption: Whistleblower: Former Detective Sergeant Jon Wedger
Credit: YouTube
London Mayor accused of grooming gangs cover-up
London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s refusal to acknowledge that there are grooming gangs in the capital has been criticised by a Metropolitan Police whistleblower. The Express reports that retired detective Jon Wedger says a sex gang is targeting care homes in London and Khan is trying to cover up the scandal. Wedger says he knows of at least 52 victims, that other gangs exist and that the “horrific crime” has been going on for two decades. (Photo, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is accused of ignoring crimes against children)
According to The Express, in 2025 Khan has ignored questions about grooming gangs nine times.
Wedger told the paper: “I’d actually uncovered kids from the age of nine to 14 that were being trafficked for prostitution on an industrial scale”. Yet when he reported the crimes to senior police officers and the local council, he claims nothing was done. Wedger said Mr Khan should be “removed immediately”.
“Kids from the age of nine to 14 that were being trafficked on an industrial scale”
The Mayor has rejected an independent inquiry into grooming gangs in London. Jon Wedger claims that speaking out about children in care being trafficked cost him his career because he published a report of his findings while still a serving officer. Speaking at a meeting in Hertfordshire in September, he testified to becoming a Christian after his son’s life was miraculously saved through his desperate prayer. Wedger now works with victims of abuse in London and is writing a book.
Andrew Halloway is a British freelance editor, writer and publishing consultant. He is also editor of Good News—a national monthly evangelistic newspaper (www.goodnews-paper.org.uk). Andrew has 18 years’ experience as an editor and publishing manager in the Christian publishing world, and holds a first class honours degree in Humanities. He has long had an interest in the creation/evolution debate, and is the contributing editor of ‘The Delusion of Evolution’, a magazine-style evangelistic booklet that has sold over 23,000 copies in the UK (available from www.newlife.co.uk).