A Canadian pastor who went viral for chasing health authorities and police officers out of his church whilst calling them 'Nazis' and 'Gestapo' has been arrested. 

Artur Pawlowski, lead pastor of Cave of Adullam Church in Alberta, Canada, was placed under arrest on Saturday for "organising an illegal in-person gathering". 

In a statement, Calgary police said Pastor Pawlowski had previously been served with a court order requiring organisers of events to follow coronavirus restrictions such as masking, social distancing, and limits on attendance. 

However, earlier on Saturday, authorities attended a service at Cave of Adullam Church and saw that Pastor Pawlowski had decided "to ignore requirements for social distancing, mask wearing and reduced capacity limits for attendees" and consequently both Pastor Pawlowski and his brother Dawid were later charged and taken into custody. 

Alberta currently has the highest rate of active cases of coronavirus in the country with more than 25,000 people infected. 

A video of their arrest has been shared on social media. The brothers can be heard calling officers "Nazis" and "Gestapo" while the person recording says: "Shame on you guys, this is not Communist China. Don't you have family and kids? Whatever happened to 'Canada, God keep our land glorious and free'?"

Church congregants have called the arrest a "disgusting showdown of tyranny". 

A donation page has been set up help pay the legal costs of Pastor Pawlowski. The pastor has been issued at least 15 fines since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Rebel News. 

Pastor Pawlowski has become the second Canadian pastor to be arrested for breaking coronavirus rules by holding in-person services. James Coates, pastor of GraceLife Church in Edmonton, spent 35 days in jail for not obeying covid restrictions.

Coates is currently on trial.