A senior Scotland Yard officer has commended the 'common sense policing' of a policewoman who defended a Christian preacher's freedom of speech while being told 'This is a Muslim area' in Whitechapel, east London.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist praised PC Moule's actions at the London Assembly on Wednesday, calling it 'a good example of officers showing policing common sense without fear or favour'. The video, uploaded to YouTube channel Auditing Britain, shows the constable standing her ground as a group of men surround her.
The encounter occurred on Whitechapel Road, near the East London Mosque, one of Western Europe's largest mosques. In the footage, the officer tells the group: 'In this country we have freedom of speech, the same way you guys have your freedom of speech.' She advises those who do not want to hear the preacher to 'walk away and don't listen to him'.
The preacher is seen being physically shoved by a man in a black duffel coat and mask, causing him to stumble. The officer continues to defend his right to preach, stating: 'You guys can preach about your religion the same way he is.'
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage praised the officer on Talk's Jeremy Kyle Breakfast Show, saying: 'She deserves to be honoured. She was calm, she was logical. Goodness me, what a credit she was to the Metropolitan Police.'
