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Residents want city to silence ‘very intimidating’ downtown Victoria street preachers

People using downtown bus stop say they just want to wait in peace
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One of several street preachers who speak loudly at the corner of Fort and Douglas in downtown Victoria. (Chris Campbell photo for Black Press Media)

People walking downtown - or just waiting for a bus - say the City of Victoria should crack down on street preachers who they say are disturbing their peace.

Some religious groups stand in spaces around downtown, but just hand out literature.

Others are preaching loud enough to be heard over traffic.

In response to a series of complaints on the subject, Black Press Media visited the intersection of Fort Street and Douglas Street at different times of the day and on different days. During those visits, several street preachers - ranging in age from their 20s to senior citizens - were loudly preaching the gospel to people who passed by or who were waiting at the two busy bus stops on either side of Douglas.

All were handing out literature, including one that talks about “demons” and “hell fire” and what happens when we die.

The ones who were preaching out loud, pacing back and forth, were the subject of angry comments from the general public.

“Shut up,” one person yelled as they walked by. “Just shut up.”

Othes yelled similar things, expressing their disapproval.

Black Press Media spoke to several people waiting for the bus about what they thought of the noise.

“I just want to wait for the bus in peace,” said Terri Wilson. “I don’t mind other people’s beliefs, but don’t yell about it.”

Another local resident tweeted about the issue.

“One thing that could be stopped is the aggressive religious people at the main bus stop on Douglas at Fort,” tweeted @RaynaRambling. “Today’s young street preacher was yelling at the people just waiting for the bus, ‘Do you know what the scripture says’ and then would loudly read from his bible … Dresses formally, well-kempt, but working himself to a fervour. I shook my head at him with a withering look, and a lady laughed and said ‘why do we have to listen to this nonsense, I’m just trying to catch a bus’ as I walked by. Hugely aggressive and problematic. Very intimidating to all the people that are in the area, which is obviously why he’s chosen that location.”

Everyone interviewed said they hoped the City of Victoria could do something about the street preachers, but there’s little local government can do to someone who is just speaking out loud in public.

Black Press Media contacted the City of Victoria for comment, but didn’t receive a reply by deadline.

READ MORE: Victoria police get an earful after tweeting about catching people urinating in alleys

Do you have a story tip? Email: chris.campbell@blackpress.ca.

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Chris Campbell

About the Author: Chris Campbell

I joined the Victoria News hub as an editor in 2023, bringing with me over 30 years of experience from community newspapers in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley
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