Belfast City Council councillors voted last week to introduce new bye-laws limiting street preachers to a maximum volume of 70 decibels and requiring compliance with any council code of conduct. The rules also prohibit the display of graphic imagery, including AI-generated images, by anti-abortion protesters on posters and T-shirts. The bye-laws apply similarly to city centre buskers.

The proposals received initial committee approval on Friday and require confirmation from Stormont’s Department for Communities, followed by legal review, before a final council vote. A further vote is scheduled for Monday night, with all nationalist parties and Alliance in favour, outnumbering unionist opposition.

The Christian Institute expressed concern that the code of conduct clause grants the council broad authority to impose future restrictions on preachers' speech. Northern Ireland Policy Officer James Kennedy described it as a 'wholly unjustifiable imposition on freedom of speech'.

Alliance councillor Jenna Maghie supported the rules but called for tougher volume limits and a review after one year, noting reports that some preachers intend to ignore them. Fines for breaches, including exceeding the volume limit or displaying prohibited imagery, could reach £500.

The bye-laws were revised from an earlier version late last year, incorporating Alliance demands for anti-abortion protest restrictions after initial rework.