The Swiss preacher Simon Ott, who has regularly found his way into the news in recent weeks for his aggressive and confrontational preaching, has been charged with hate speech, the local newspaper DV reports. Simon was arrested by the Police in North East Iceland, spending 11 hours behind bars for trespassing and preaching on schoolgrounds.
Recently a local Talk Radio host was charged with hate speech against the LGBTQ community.
Simon told the local newspaper DV that he realizes his methods are controversial and confrontational and that they were unlikely to make him popular in Iceland. He claims he was unaware of the fact that he was standing on schoolgrounds when he was arrested. After Police released him from custody Simon says he was issued a warning that he would be jailed again if he did not stop his behaviour. Simon argues he doesn't know if this refers to trespassing or his confrontational preaching.
Read more: Video: Foreign preacher of homophobia and hellfire thrown out of mall in N. Iceland
Surprised a local woman didn't appreciate being called a whore
The Swiss preacher has had several run-ins with Icelanders who have disagreed with his message, including a Reykjavík woman tried to kick him in the groin: She didn't like the fact that I called her a whore, due to the fact that she was not married, but still having sex. He was also confronted by a group of men in Reykjavík who stole a rainbow flag he was using as a prop for his preaching: I stood on top of the flag in front of Dunkin' Donuts, when a group of men come out of a nearby bar. They shoved me, took the flag and one of the men stuck the flag down his pants. I couldn't retrieve the flag, because that would have been a sexual assault.
The Swiss preacher Simon Ott, who has regularly found his way into the news in recent weeks for his aggressive and confrontational preaching, has been charged with hate speech, the local newspaper DV reports. Simon was arrested by the Police in North East Iceland, spending 11 hours behind bars for trespassing and preaching on schoolgrounds.
Recently a local Talk Radio host was charged with hate speech against the LGBTQ community.
Simon told the local newspaper DV that he realizes his methods are controversial and confrontational and that they were unlikely to make him popular in Iceland. He claims he was unaware of the fact that he was standing on schoolgrounds when he was arrested. After Police released him from custody Simon says he was issued a warning that he would be jailed again if he did not stop his behaviour. Simon argues he doesn't know if this refers to trespassing or his confrontational preaching.
Read more: Video: Foreign preacher of homophobia and hellfire thrown out of mall in N. Iceland
Surprised a local woman didn't appreciate being called a whore
The Swiss preacher has had several run-ins with Icelanders who have disagreed with his message, including a Reykjavík woman tried to kick him in the groin: She didn't like the fact that I called her a whore, due to the fact that she was not married, but still having sex. He was also confronted by a group of men in Reykjavík who stole a rainbow flag he was using as a prop for his preaching: I stood on top of the flag in front of Dunkin' Donuts, when a group of men come out of a nearby bar. They shoved me, took the flag and one of the men stuck the flag down his pants. I couldn't retrieve the flag, because that would have been a sexual assault.
