London's so-called street preachers convicted and fined on public nuisance charges

Two London men have been convicted and fined a collective of $7,250 for violating the city's public nuisance bylaw charges.

Steven Ravbar and Matthew Carapella were convicted on Friday in relation to the charges issued from 2019. Ravbar was fined $3,500 and Carpella was fined $3,750 as part of the penalties issued by the provincial court, the city said in a release.

The charges responded to numerous complaints from people being verbally harassed by the pair regarding their gender, attire and appearance in public spaces in London. They were also jointly charged with criminal mischief for disturbing a Church service in 2019.

The men would often be seen on the streets of downtown preaching biblical messages with an amplified loudspeaker and sandwich board-style signs, specifically pertaining to women and how they should dress and behave in public.

The safety of women and children is a key pillar of city council's strategic plan, Orest Katolyk, director of municipal compliance said in the release. 

"No one should be afraid to walk in a park or along a sidewalk in fear of being verbally accosted due to their appearance or gender," he said. 

"We hope these convictions send a strong message that this type of abusive and insulting language, which negatively interferes with the use and enjoyment of public places, will not be tolerated."