Footage has captured the moment police confronted a street preacher for holding a sign with a Bible verse on it outside the Sydney Opera House.
Local evangelist Mike McCarthy, 72, shared video of five security guards and two NSW Police officers confronted him on Saturday.
The 72-year-old was walking around outside the Opera House with a handheld sign.
‘Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way to the father but by me. John 14:6,’ it read.
In the 12-minute clip, shared to his YouTube channel ‘Mike with a mic’, police urged Mr McCarthy to move away from the area as he was violating a set of bylaws.
‘[Security] have given you just a simple request to leave the sign over there. They do have bylaws here, governing this area,’ one officer said.
‘You’ve refused to comply with them and you’ve also failed to stop to speak with the security guard.
‘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.’
Mr McCarthy fired back and asked the officer to explain what he has done wrong and which laws he had violated.
‘No, you’re going to have to tell me what I’m doing wrong or I’m not going anywhere,’ he said.
‘This is . The Constitution of says I can preach religion anywhere within .
‘That’s all I’m doing, and I’m not even doing that. I’m just walking around, looking at that.’
The officer informed Mr McCarthy he was violating the bylaws governing the Opera House’s premises.
The bylaw prohibits a person from distributing or displaying ‘by oral, visual written, electronic or other means, an , sign, bill, poster or other promotional material’.
‘I’m not interested in bylaws. I’m interested in being free,’ Mr McCarthy said.
‘What are you going to do, are you going to arrest me?’
The officer responded: ‘I don’t want to. I’m just asking you to leave.’
Mr McCarthy replied: ‘On principle I’m not going to leave, because I’m an n citizen. If I can’t walk anywhere in with this sign, there is a problem.’
The confrontation ended peacefully after Mr McCarthy walked away with his sign to Circular Quay.
NSW Police said no move on direction was issued, however, Mr McCarthy told 2BG host Ben Fordham on Monday that it was ‘threatened’.
‘I wasn’t trying to be difficult, I was just sticking up for my rights and I believe we all should,’ he said.
The Christian preacher cited the n Constitution section 116 outlining the freedom of religion and stipulates that the Commonwealth is prohibited from making laws which prohibit the free exercise of religion.
Mr McCarthy explained he did not agree with the bylaws, as section 109 of the constitution stipulates federal law prevails when a conflict arises between federal and state government laws.
He told Fordham he was not shocked that security had called the police as it ‘happens to us frequently’.
‘I was hassled about walking on state-owned land, which I believe it is, for just carrying a sign,’ Mr McCarthy said.
‘Well, a 72-year-old guy with a sign has got to be a clear and present danger, so we got to shut him down. It’s just ridiculous.
‘I walk around with this sign everyday. We go everyday out on the street and preach the word of God. We pray with people. That’s all we do.
‘I took it on principle. I’m not just going to stop. I believe I have a right to do this. I’m not contravening any law that I can see. I’m not stirring up people, I’m not creating havoc, I have no loud speaker. I just had a sign in my hand.’
Social media users backed Mr McCarthy, with many questioning why police had stopped him and not hundreds of anti-Israeli protesters in 2023.
Protesters, many carrying signs, gathered outside the Opera House when it was going to be lit-up in support of Israel following the Hamas attack in October.
‘This man has every right to display his sign and is covered by his and everyone’s right to religious expression and freedoms and when you impinge on his rights you are the one breaking the law,’ one wrote.
A second chimed in: ‘What happened to freedom of expression?
‘Everyone should go to the Opera House and hold a sign saying: “We have the right of freedom of expression”.’