Belfast Pride hate crime investigation: Preacher quizzed over Pride ‘hate crime’ claims his message was misconstrued

Ryan Williamson, of Salvation On The Streets, has been preaching in the city centre for the last five years.

Speaking in Royal Avenue ahead of the Pride parade on Saturday, he was recorded saying: “Homosexuals have become so brazen that they wanted to rape the righteous, and that’s what is happening today – they want to rape our children, they want to rape our country, they want to pillage and they want to pilfer, all in the name of love. We need to stand up against the sin of homosexuality.”

Mr Williamson’s comments have been criticised by the organisers of Belfast Pride and some public representatives.

At the weekend the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they were aware of a video circulating on social media showing a male using a public address system in the Royal Avenue area of the city on Saturday, July 29, prior to the Belfast Pride Parade.

They said officers were present at the scene and gathered evidence on body worn video, and footage is being reviewed by investigators.

On Tuesday evening the PSNI issued a statement saying that they are treating the tearing of a bible in Belfast city centre on Saturday July 29 as a hate crime.

On Tuesday morning, Mr Williamson responded to criticism of his comments, saying an 18-second clip does not portray his message.

He told the BBC’s Stephen Nolan Show that he believes God has called him to “speak out against the evil of the homosexual ideology and agenda”.

“I have spoken to many homosexual people, I have many homosexual friends, I don’t not love people – I love them, but I love God more, and I love the truth more, so I tell them the truth.”

Questioned about his comments at Belfast Pride, Mr Williamson said: “Of course I don’t believe that homosexuals rape kids. I believe what the rape is is the rape of our children’s identity.

Challenged that that was not what he said, he countered: “It’s what I meant.”

He went on: “They’ve caught my words, an 18-second clip … but we’ll be putting the full message up to let people know on our Facebook page, Salvation On The Streets.”

“There is a pretext to vilify Christians and to vilify preachers.

“Police and the council and others have been weaponised against me by the homosexual community … I have been arrested over the head of them taking things out of context, so I’m saying that what I mean is that kids are being indoctrinated by a militant homosexual agenda, it’s the rape of their identity, our biblical morality and Christian heritage is being raped from our country.”

On Monday, Belfast Pride co-chairman John O’Doherty said the “language used was entirely unacceptable”.

Alliance Party councillor Micky Murray also expressed his concern, and said he will be meeting senior police on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

“Belfast Pride is the biggest, brightest, most inclusive parade in our city. So, it was utterly depressing to hear the hateful messages being preached by people who proclaim to be Christians on Saturday.

“In my view, what was being preached constituted a hate crime and members of the public were visibly and audibly outraged by it,” he said.

At present, no specific offence of hate crime exists in Northern Ireland. Instead, under current legislation, a sentence can be increased where it is proven a person was motivated by hostility against someone’s race, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

In December Northern Ireland judge Des Marrinan made 34 recommendations for proposed hate crime legislation. However he also caused concern when he was recommended the abolition of free speech protections for individuals' own homes - the private dwelling defence.

The Department of Justice says it has been working to implement his recommendations and finalise a range of policy positions to inform the introduction of a Hate Crime Bill. The first of a two-part public consultation was published in March. It is also developing topics for part two, which will be considered by an incoming minister, it added.