The Canadian Message Street Preachers: Difference between revisions
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Two message street preachers in Canada - Steven Ravbar and Matthew Carapella - have been in the news off and on since 2015, when Matthew Carapella was influenced to follow the message by Steve Ravbar, a former elementary school teacher. Ravbar was formerly the principal at the private school run by [[Cloverdale Bibleway]] in Surrey, BC, Canada. | Two message street preachers in Canada - Steven Ravbar and Matthew Carapella - have been in the news off and on since 2015, when Matthew Carapella was influenced to follow the message by Steve Ravbar, a former elementary school teacher. Ravbar was formerly the principal at the private school run by [[Cloverdale Bibleway]] in Surrey, BC, Canada. | ||
=Charged with hate crimes in British Columbia= | =Charged with alleged hate crimes in British Columbia= | ||
On July 24, 2025, the CBC reported that the two street preachers were arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on charges related to promoting hatred during their public evangelism activities. They are accused of mischief "motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression." The incident, which occurred in the city's downtown area, involved the individuals allegedly making inflammatory and discriminatory remarks targeting the LGBTQ+ community, leading to complaints from passersby and subsequent police intervention. Authorities responded to reports of the preachers using amplified sound equipment to broadcast messages deemed homophobic and derogatory, prompting their detention under Canada's hate crime laws. | |||
According to the report, the preachers were standing on a busy street corner, engaged in what they described as religious outreach. Witnesses reported hearing statements condemning homosexuality as an "abomination" and linked it to societal ills. This escalated into a public disturbance. Vancouver Police Department officers arrived after multiple calls from concerned citizens, citing violations of local bylaws, and potentially breaching the Canadian Criminal Code's provisions on hate propaganda. | |||
Read the CBC report [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/street-preachers-hate-crime-1.7591134 here]. | |||
=Problems in London, Ontario= | =Problems in London, Ontario= | ||