Belfast Pride Organisers ‘To Discuss Alleged Hate Crime’ With Police

By Rebecca Black and David Young (PA)

Organisers of Belfast Pride are to meet senior police officers later this week.

It comes as officers investigate an alleged incident of hate crime at the annual event in the Northern Ireland capital on Saturday.

Reports were made to police about a man with a microphone making comments on members of the LGBT+ community ahead of the Pride parade.

It was captured on video, and police said footage has since emerged on social media.

Officers confirmed the matter is being investigated as hate crime.

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

“Belfast Pride and the Pride movement more generally are born out of a protest movement, and Belfast Pride itself is a protest so we fully recognise the right of people to protest across our city, it’s a right that we use annually ourselves,” he told the BBC.

“That includes those people who choose to protest us and protest what we believe in, and there has been a long history of protest at the Belfast Pride Parade, in advance and during, and broadly without incident.”

He said the comments made were “indicative of a wider growing problem in the city centre”.

Mr O’Doherty said the Pride committee will be meeting senior police officers later this week about the wider event, and intend to raise the matter with them.

PSNI Superintendent Christian Bradley said officers attended the scene in Royal Avenue and gathered evidence using their body-worn video.

He 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 July 29 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.”

Thousands of people took to the streets of Belfast as the city’s largest ever Pride parade took place on Saturday.

More than 250 different groups signed up to take part, an increase of 25% on last year.

The theme for Belfast Pride 2023 was Stand By Your Trans, and the parade was led by trans, non-binary and gender diverse people.