An alarming trend of arrests of Christians preaching the gospel in public spaces—a completely legal and constitutionally protected activity—is beginning to break of real and actual persecution in the United States. Just two weeks ago, we reported that a young teen was falsely arrested and charged while preaching the gospel on public property during a drag queen event at the behest of the sick and perverted event organizers.

Now, in a new video showing the arrest of a man, abolitionist Mike Gulley, preaching against abortion, the cop refuses to cite the ordinance he is breaking and, once again, arrests the man on false charges. The arrest took place in a public park at an art festival by South Bend, Indiana police.

Watch:

More from the same event, police falsely tell man that he is not allowed on public property because the permittee of the event claims it’s a “private event.” This is false and events on public property are always open to the public and cannot restrict constitutionally-protected speech.

After the man is placed in handcuffs, he’s then told that he’s being arrested for resisting arrest. Completely absurd. He’s also told that if he continues to call the cops “tyrants,” that he’s “provocating a police officer” and that he will be charged with that as well.

In the face of such blatant persecution, one thing is abundantly clear: The systematic silencing of Christian voices is not predicated on the legitimacy or legality of theses arrests. The objective here isn’t to win a legal battle, but to send a message that dampens spirits and sows seeds of hesitancy among those who dare to raise their voice for the cause of Christ. The mere act of detaining, regardless of the eventual court outcome, is their mechanism to suppress the truth in unrighteousness

It’s a calculated tactic—one that banks on the power of intimidation. For every Christian who’s falsely arrested, how many more are dissuaded from preaching publicly? How many see this and choose to remain silent? For the left, it doesn’t matter if these Christians win their cases in court, because the instant those handcuffs click shut, they’ve already scored a victory. It’s a victory of fear, of silencing, and of reshaping the public space. The underlying message is both cynical and clear: even if you win later, you lose now.

But we must not lose sight of the true battle at hand. This isn’t just about defending the rights of Christians to preach in public, it’s about defending the right to proclaim the name of Jesus as we, the Church, are called and commanded to do. When we are systematically muzzled, it’s not just an affront to every American’s freedom, it’s an affront to the mission of the Church.