Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 8, 2023 / 09:40 am
A senior British official has warned police officers in the country that the mere act of silently praying — a seemingly direct reference to recent pro-life demonstrations outside abortion clinics — is “not unlawful,” a declaration that comes amid an ongoing and controversial debate about that practice in the United Kingdom.
U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a letter to the chief constables of England and Wales this month that it was “worth remembering” that “silent prayer, in itself, is not unlawful.”
The letter, the secretary said, was an effort to remind police officers of “the importance of remaining impartial” while carrying out law enforcement duties.
In the document, she also cautioned against recent police behaviors such as “taking the knee” during Black Lives Matter protests, embracing “highly contested ideologies” such as gender extremism and critical race theory, and “failing to take action” of threats of violence made by transgender activists against women.