The Evangelical Alliance along with the Christian Lawyers Fellowship as well as numerous other Christian organisations gathered today in Hyde Park's Speakers' Corner in a prayer rally against the proposed Racial and Religious Hatred legislation.

|PIC1|The event drew speakers and prayers from various organisations including Andrea Minichiello Williams, Public Policy Officer from the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship; Revd George Hargreaves of Operation Christian Voice; as well as Revd Katei Kirby of the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance.

Each lead the large crowd gathered, in prayer and praise, calling for the legislation to be rejected by the House of Lords next week.

The Alliances have also urged their members to take time off work this coming week as part of the protest, and are calling for huge numbers of people to gather outside the Houses of Parliament on 11 October, the date that the Bill’s first full debate is scheduled to take place at the House of Lords.

More than 100 Christian groups, churches and denominations started a full weekend of prayer and protests against the legislation today, which has been seen by many critics as a threat to freedom of speech as well as a threat to evangelism for religious groups.

The protest commenced today at Hyde Park with the prayer rally taking place near the famous ‘Speakers’ Corner’ in Hyde Park in central London at midday.

|PIC2|It will be followed by a day of prayer in local churches throughout the nation on Sunday, concluding with a mass protest rally on Tuesday (11th October) in Parliament Square, commencing at 1pm and concluding at 4pm.

The Chief Executive Officer of the ACEA, Rev Katei Kirby said, “The impact of the proposed legislation will form part of the legacy that we will leave for our children and our children’s children. This is an opportunity for the Church to unite with one voice in prayer and protest to make a difference.”

The Evangelical Alliance is in unity with many other faith organisations and groups, as well as entertainers and secularists, that fear the proposed legislation will greatly restrict the right to freedom of speech in Britain.

Despite large protests, the legislation has already passed through the House of Commons, and now it just remains for the House of Lords to approve the Bill for it to come into effect as law in Britain.

The General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, Rev Joel Edwards said, “We continue to oppose this Bill as a matter of principle because it affects the freedom of speech of every UK citizen. We are committed to defending religious liberty and precious freedoms like free speech. This protest is about pulling people together to be a united voice in opposition to this proposed law.”

Backing this view, Don Horrocks, the Head of Public Affairs at the Evangelical Alliance stated, “Many observers believe the Government is so committed to getting the measures through Parliament that the Bill will inevitably pass into statute law. However, opposition to the Bill, even at this late stage, is not futile. It is quite possible that the Lords may press for amendments that the Government will feel obliged to accept and which could make the Bill less destructive. I therefore urge everyone who believes in the principles of free speech to do everything they can to join the thousands of Christians and others at the rally in Parliament Square on Tuesday.”