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[[Image:Hammond.jpg|thumbnail|150px|right|Harry Hammond]]

[[Image:Hammond.jpg|thumbnail|150px|right|Harry Hammond]]

'''Harry Hammond''' was a 69 year old street preacher from Bournemouth, [[England]] who in October 2001 was assaulted by an angry crowd of 40 people while he proclaimed his [[Christian]] views in the town center. Hammond's views included a call to repentance in respect to [[homosexuality]].<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref>  Hammond suffered from a type of [[autism]] making speaking with others difficult for him, and was holding a sign bearing the words, "[[Jesus Christ|Jesus]] Gives Peace, Jesus is Alive, Stop Immorality, Stop Homosexuality, Stop [[Lesbianism]], Jesus is Lord".<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref>

'''Harry Hammond''' was a 69 year old Christian from Bournemouth, [[England]] who died after suffering a severe assault by LGBT activists in 2001.

Two police officers arrived at the scene; there was a disagreement as to whether they should protect him or arrest him, and eventually Hammond was arrested. However, no violent members of the crowd were arrested.<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref> At the time there were complaints from homosexuals about the sign which called for repentance in regards to homosexuality.<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200205/ai_n9117665</ref>

 

Subsequently, Hammond was charged and prosecuted and fined under the Public Order Act 1986.<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref>   Sadly, Hammond later died and despite a posthumous court appeal stating that had the right to freedom of religion and the freedom to express his beliefs, it was ruled that Hammond had acted unreasonably in holding up a sign he knew to be offensive.<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref> A further appeal to the [[European Court of Human Rights]] was also dismissed.<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref>

Two police officers arrived at the scene; there was a disagreement as to whether they should protect him or arrest him, and eventually Hammond was arrested. However, no violent members of the crowd were arrested.<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref> At the time there were complaints from homosexuals about the sign which mentioned homosexuality. They did not explain why they had not made a complaint to the police instead of lynching him without warning. Nobody had ever told Hammond that his sign might be illegal nor had he ever received a police warning.  

<ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200205/ai_n9117665</ref>  

Hammond was taken to a police cell where he got no treatment for his shock or injuries. He was charged and later prosecuted under the Public Order Act 1986. He was found guilty, and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £695 (about $1,000). <ref> <ref>https://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/12/englands-repressive-tolerance</ref> Such a sum of money for a man living on an old age pension was huge and represented long-term hardship. Immediately after his conviction, he collapsed, was taken to hospital, and died shortly thereafter. <ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref> Despite a posthumous court appeal stating that had the right to freedom of religion and the freedom to express his beliefs, it was ruled that Hammond had acted unreasonably in holding up a sign he knew to be offensive. A further appeal to the [[European Court of Human Rights]] was also dismissed.<ref>http://www.christian.org.uk/rel_liberties/cases/harry_hammond.htm</ref>

<ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/9798039/Christians-rights-Martyred-on-a-cross-of-secular-liberalism.html</ref>

==References==

==References==