A local council in England is being forced to backtrack on a plan to curb street preaching in town squares after its first proposal drew significant backlash from the Christian community, who say the measure treated Christians like “criminals.”

The Rushmoor council southwest of London wants to crack down on the predominantly Christian preachers, citing complaints from community members who said the preaching is “offensive” and creates a “non-inclusive” environment. 

An initial proposal, which has been rescinded so it can be re-written,  would have prevented Christians from preaching, praying, or handing out leaflets — which the council said are “offensive” and cause “alarm and distress” — without receiving “prior permission” from passers-by on the streets.  

Additionally, the injunction would have prevented the preaching of sermons that were “hostile towards anyone with the protected characteristic of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation.”

The prohibition included a penalty of up to two years in prison. 

One preacher,  Sally McGuinness, told the Telegraph, “If this is not challenged and stopped in its tracks now, it will spread and will be terrible for Christian freedoms and freedom in general in this country.”

“I couldn’t believe it when I read it, it is unashamedly stopping the gospel [from] being shared and treating us like unwanted criminals,” she added.

The chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Williams, criticized the plan, saying, “The proposed injunction is disproportionate and unlawful, and we will challenge any other legislation the council tries to bring in which attempts to silence and criminalize the Christian faith.”

After the backlash over the proposal, the council said in a statement it will “rewrite” the injunction with “greater consultation” from local Christians.

Still, the council defended the idea of restrictions on street preaching as it said it had received many complaints, including one from a parent with a “transgender son,” and other complainants who said they were left feeling “angry and upset” after listening to street sermons. Another person said street preaching creates a “non-inclusive environment.”

While the injunction against street preaching is being re-written, it comes as Christians have expressed a concern that governments in the United Kingdom are cracking down on open demonstrations of Christian faith. Earlier this month, a former Baptist pastor, Clive Johnston, was hit with criminal charges for holding an “open-air Sunday service” on the “fringes” of a buffer zone of a facility where abortions are performed. 

Other anti-abortion advocates have faced prosecution for their demonstrations, which can lead to fines of thousands of pounds. In October, a British man, Adam Smith-Connor, was convicted of praying silently outside an abortion clinic and ordered to pay more than $11,000 in prosecution fees. 

Meanwhile, new sentencing guidelines are supposed to go into effect in England that critics say will lead to Christians and white men receiving harsher sentences than women and ethnic minorities. 

Under the new guidelines, it “will normally be considered necessary” for judges to obtain pre-sentencing reports for offenders to help determine their sentencing when the individual is from an ethnic, cultural, or faith minority. A 2018 study from the Center for Justice Innovation found that when a pre-sentence report was conducted, the offender was ten times more likely to receive a community sentence rather than imprisonment.

The guidelines, which are not exhaustive, say a pre-sentencing report should be considered if the offender is a female, from an ethnic, cultural, or faith minority, is pregnant, identifies as transgender, has addiction issues, has mental health issues or a physical disability, or they are a victim of physical or sexual abuse.

Magistrate courts typically follow the recommendations. However, Crown Court judges who handle more serious cases tend to issue sentences different from the pre-sentence report. 

The guidelines sparked controversy after members of Prime Minister Starmer’s Cabinet criticized them and the independent council that drafted them. Parliament is expected to consider legislation that would override the new guidelines.