NI Pride preacher says words 'taken out of context'

A thoroughfare preacher who was filmed accusing cheery radical of being rapists and kid enactment abusers has said his words were "taken retired of context".

The incidental was filmed successful Belfast metropolis centre up of the city's Pride parade connected Saturday.

Police person said they are treating it arsenic a hatred crime, but nary arrests person been made.

Ryan Williamson told BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show: "Of people I don't judge that homosexuals rape kids."

His archetypal comments person been criticised by LGBT campaigners and the event's organisers, with Belfast Pride co-chairperson John O'Doherty calling the connection utilized wholly unacceptable.

"We recognise and enactment everyone else's close to protest, including those who chose to protestation against Belfast Pride and what we judge in," helium said.

"However that protestation comes with a work and that work is intelligibly marked down successful law."

Mr Williamson claimed the media sum of his remarks was "diabolical".

"They took an 18-second clip of a connection I had been sharing and misconstrued it - they mightiness person caught immoderate words but they didn't drawback the bosom of the message," said Mr Williamson.

He said helium was withdrawing his remark but added: "Homosexuality is simply a misdeed and determination is simply a militant docket that wants to rape the minds of our kids, their gender, individuality and our state of its Biblical morality.

"I person galore homosexual friends. I emotion radical but I emotion God more."

He said determination was a "pretext to vilify Christians and preachers".

"I americium escaped to preach God's volition successful a ideology that was founded connected the Bible - it's ludicrous to accidental I can't spell retired into the metropolis centre and preach God's word."

Mr Williamson said helium was "assaulted, spat connected and had Bibles ripped up successful beforehand of me", and that helium had contacted the constabulary astir that.

Supt Christian Bradley from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers who were astatine the country gathered video evidence, which was being reviewed by detectives.

On Monday the PSNI confirmed the actions of a fig of radical were being examined.

The organisers of Belfast Pride person said they volition sermon the incidental with the constabulary erstwhile they conscionable elder officers this week.

Thousands of radical took portion successful Belfast Pride, which is the main lawsuit successful the city's LGBT calendar.

More than 250 groups signed up to instrumentality portion successful the Belfast parade - up 25% from 2022, according to the organisers.