Belfast Pride hate crime: Police treating tearing up a Bible as 'hate crime' after preacher reports being attacked at 2023 event

He told the News Letter: "While preaching at the parade on Saturday, I was spat on, cursed at length, had my amp smashed and had a bible torn up in front of me.”

He says police on the scene came to his defence and that he has given two statements.

Mr Williamson said he believed the offences were hate crimes because they were directed at him because of his religious identity and opinions.

Asked to comment, the PSNI said: “The Police Service of Northern Ireland is treating the tearing of a bible in Belfast City Centre on Saturday 29th July as a hate crime.”

Police have also said they are treating his preaching on Saturday as a hate crime.

However he told the News Letter that he was attacked before he uttered his controversial comments about rape and children.

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."

He later said his words were taken out of context. Questioned about his comments at Belfast Pride, Mr Williamson told the Nolan Show: “Of course I don’t believe that homosexuals rape kids. I believe what the rape is is the rape of our children’s identity.”

Superintendent Christian Bradley said: “Police are 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, 29th July prior to the Belfast Pride Parade. Officers were present at the scene and gathered evidence on Body Worn video. This footage is being reviewed by investigators. The incident is being treated as a hate crime.”

Police confirmed that as part of the investigation, they are reviewing the actions and behaviours of a number of individuals.