A Christian street preacher has been forced to leave the Sydney Opera House area after security guards objected to his sign containing a Bible verse about Jesus and called police.
Local evangelist Mike McCarthy shared a video of the interaction on his YouTube channel “Mike with the mic”, which began with two NSW Police officers approaching him about the sign, and ended with him peacefully walking away towards Circular Quay.
During the 12-minute clip Mike informed the officers he was not preaching, and that he just wanted to walk past the Opera House with his sign saying “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6,” but was told he was violating a set of by-laws.
“[Security] have given you just a simple request to leave the sign over there, they do have by-laws here, governing this area. You’ve refused to comply with them and you’ve also failed to stop to speak with the security guard,” one officer told Mike at the beginning of the interaction.
“Now since then they’ve asked you multiple times, and as I understand, because I have dealt with him in the past, they’ve tried to be reasonable with you.”
“Tell me what crime I’ve done please,” Mike responded, to which the officer said “I’m not going to tell you anything”.
“You’re not? Well okay I’ve done nothing,” the preacher said and turned to walk away.
“You’re going to have to leave the Opera House area,” the policeman continued, and Mike said: “No, you’re going to have to tell me what I’m doing wrong or I’m not going anywhere”.
The police officer then began to issue a “move-on direction”.
“This is Australia,” Mike said.
“The Constitution of Australia says I can preach religion anywhere within Australia, right? That’s all I’m doing, and I’m not even doing that, I’m just walking around, looking at that.”
The police then told him he was violating the by-laws governing the Opera House premises, and Mike said: “I’m not interested in by-laws, I’m interested in being free.”
“What are you going to do, are you going to arrest me?” he asked, and one officer said “I don’t want to … I’m just asking you to leave”.
“On principle I’m not going to leave, because I’m an Australian citizen,” Mike replied.
“If I can’t walk anywhere in Australia with this sign, there is a problem.”
Later in the video a security guard cited a by-law that states it is prohibited in the Opera House premises to “distribute or display, by oral, visual, written, electronic or other means, an advertisement, sign, bill, poster or other promotional material”.
When Mike asked how he had violated that by-law, a police officer told him the sign was the problem, and Mike replied: “So what if I had it on my T-shirt, would I have to take that off?”
“It depends what was on the shirt,” the security guard responded.
“I’m going to get a T-shirt made with this on it and I’m going to come back and say g’day to you, truly, because I think it’s just silly, the fact that this is made of corflute and this is made of material, doesn’t make any difference,” Mike told the guard just before leaving.
NSW Police said no move on direction was issued, and confirmed Mike left the area after officers explained the by-law.
Noticer News contacted Mr McCarthy and the Sydney Opera House for comment.
Header image: Mike McCarthy speaking to the police and security guards (Mikeonthemic).
