The BBC are reporting that the Oxford Street preacher, Philip Howard, aka “Sinner or Winner man” is being attacked by Westminster Council who have applied for an ASBO against him for his megaphone-enhanced preaching on Oxford Circus. Apparently he’s been the source of some complaints from members of the public for his fairly tame rhetoric and the council have decided to act. This isn’t the first time people have tried to stop him preaching, either. This time last year he was being cleared in court after telling a passer by that he’d burn in hell which is strange because he’s usually quite mellow!
Howard is a bit of a London personality, vast numbers of visitors and locals know of him because he is always there. I don’t know many people who really have a problem with him except, as the BBC article points out, a few of the local shopkeepers who have to put up with him all day long. I’d love to FOIA the complaints from Westminster Council, I bet they’re corkers!
For the uninitiated, Philip Howard is a chap that stands on the junction of two very busy shopping streets in the middle of London and preaches fairly harmless Christian values. He recently spent Winter in Australia doing the same thing he does in London and returned to London for our Summer. I don’t agree with much of what Howard has to say, but he is a character and I do respect his right to do it. When Howard is kicked out of the Circus, I presume the council will move onto the newbies that set up on the other side of the road, and the table that is set up by a London Muslim group to hand out information on Islam. Hell, before long they’ll want to stop us from having a right to protest at all!
You can read an old interview with Philip Howard here. You can even buy official Phil Howard Sinner or Winner T-shirts.
[ Photo by Dave Gorman, licensed under Creative Commons ]
Tags: preacher, bbc, evangelist, london, uk, oxfordstreet, oxfordcircus
UPDATE: The ASBO was granted according to this news article. He’s been banned from using “any amplification device” in or around Oxford Street.
UPDATE2: Showing the pointlessness of poorly thought out arbitrary punishments such as ASBOs, Phil Howard has taken up residence at Piccadilly Circus, just a few hundred metres away from Oxford Circus where he’ll get to rant more at tourists than shoppers, though I’m quite sure he doesn’t really care.
I think this is more advertising than protest – would you be as happy if he was shouting about pizzas?
I can see where you’re coming from. It’s not really advertising though! I can’t imagine Westminster Council accusing an advertiser of acting “in an anti-social manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress”. He’s saying things not everyone agrees with; he’s trying to change the status quo and he’s making complaints about what he sees around him. I think these qualities make him more of a protester than advertiser.
I’ve no doubt I find his beliefs largely incompatible with my own but I fear that in striking down someone we find disagreeable we also find others whose beliefs we do agree with condemned in the same action. What would the outrage be like if someone was preaching liberal anti-war messages in Oxford Circus and given the same treatment?
Hmm, that’s fair enough. I’m just tired of religions allowing people to get away with things that wouldn’t usually be acceptable. Someone using a megaphone to talk about their pizzas wouldn’t be acting ‘in an anti-social manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress’, but they would be prevented with some other ruling. As long as they are treated equally however, I don’t actually have a problem with people shouting about whatever it is they want to shout about in cities. Better that than they chase me around with a clipboard.
Of course, with anything like this the line is fuzzy as hell…
I’m all for freedom of speech, but the issue here isn’t with what he’s saying (most of the time) it’s with the volume at which he’s saying it. If he feels he wants to spout the bollocks he does in the middle of oxford street then fair enough but do it sans mega-phone.
He’s a nuisance, he’s been known to be directly rude to gays, blacks, fat people, and tourists and it’s not as if there aren’t places in London (like speakers corner) where he could go and play.
I’m glad they got an asbo for his behaviour, I’m hoping they’ll extend it to anywhere within Zone 1.
They’re going to have to extend it, at this rate. He’s moved barely a few hundred yards and set up camp at Picadilly Circus. It was quite funny to see him preaching with his back turned as hundreds of participants in yesterday’s Europride Parade marched past.
He is a stupid fuckjar, I hope he goes to heaven, it will be a lonely lonely place full of old ladies eating cheese sandwiches and washing jesus’ feet. He’s welcome to it.
come home son … just like last time, these earth dwellers dont understand you … theyve evicted you from the crossroad … now come back to daddy before they nail you to a cross in piccadilly … your work is done … its too late for the sinners … weve got all the end-timers in position to be beamed up now … the others will just have to burn … our work on earth is done … love … dad
If he is a real end timer then i will gladly go to picadily circus with my megaphone and block him out. I know a song that will get on his nerves
Im a Christain and Born again for the the last seven years, I take my hat off to Phil, but I would also encorage him to read his Bibie and preach from the heart of Jesus, not the heart of his own pride. Slagging off other christains is not the way to win the world over. Love is the only way, to only be a resounding gong but not have love means nothing to God and people will not hear you, unless you speak from the words of Jesus the man who loved and died for us all,gave up his life so we could live. Works
dont save us Phil, Grace from God dose…I hope you
will know this some day… Im praying for you
brother! God Bless. PS WE ARE ALL SINNERS… Its Gods Grace that saves us, if we only belive and except him
This guy used to preach me and my mates
on the Wrexham to Chester Crossvile wales bus in the early ninties
good to see hes got so famous
I agree with L Masora. I commend Phil for his commitment and determination in trying to bring the truth of God to poeple who don’t know Jesus. But sadly he’s got things a little bit wrong. Phil told me yesterday on the street that if I still sin, I cannot be a Christian. Yet I know and the Bible tells us that we are all broken, we are all imperfect – none of us as sin-free – only Jesus was, and that is whether or not we put our trust in Jesus or not.
I pray for Phil too, that he will see that being truly loving to people is what Jesus would do. Only God has the right to judge us.