Is this hate speech against women?

[Cleebope2]

I was queueing to get into Boots in a city centre today and a man with a megaphone was standing shouting at the women in the queue that we are sinful and will burn in hell for buying beauty products. Make up is from the devil and real beauty in women does not need make up. Beauty products pit women against each other. He was aggressive and intimidating. As we entered the door he shouted at each women that she was entering the threshold of Hell. There were many young women in the queue who were silent and put their heads down. No one confronted him. I was angry and asked the women who was monitoring the entrance if I could report this hate speech to the manager. She said he is there all the time and they can’t do anything about it. He moved on when he saw I was trying to report him but he just started all over again at Primark down the street. What can be done to stop this misogyny in a public place? I filled in an online form when I got home but I’m sure it won’t be taken seriously.

I'm assuming misogyny is not a hate crime in NI?

I would have personally called the police non emergency number and reported it as threatening behaviour/ breach of the peace. I have no idea if the local council could step in as here I've seen them remove buskers.

Do the anti gay preachers get charged with homophobic hate crimes or are they just left to carry on?

Whilst I have spent my entire life being on the wrong side of the many sreet preachers of Belfast, I am not in favour of them being prosecuted for hate crimes. They have freedom of religion and unless they are calling for violence against women buying makeup, or gay couples, then we are free to roll our eyes and seethe inwardly. It's a slippery slope when you criminalise what people can say in public and women in particular have good reason to be wary of that.

I'm aware of the anti-gay mob in Corn Market and the passive counter-demonstrations to it. DD tells me that the anti-gay mob spit in the faces of the gay rights demonstrators. It is repulsive.