Politicians have condemned a protest banner placed at the site of a proposed new gaelscoil in east Belfast.
It appeared at the proposed site of Bunscoil na Seolta at Montgomery Road.
It read "Relocate Irish school to where it is needed. Relocate Irish school to where it is wanted." It has since been removed.
The school currently operates a naíscoil from a church hall in a different part of the east of the city.
It plans to open a temporary bunscoil and naíscoil on the Montgomery Road site from next year.
It had applied for permission to operate on the site for five years before moving to a permanent new home.
Loyalist activists claimed there had been insufficient consultation with the local community and that the school was not wanted in the area.
However, politicians have criticised the placing of the banner saying that the planning application had had more letters of support than objection.
It was passed by Belfast City Council in July.
Of the 13 submissions made in respect of the application, 11 were in favour and two against.
SDLP councillor Seamas De Faoite said he had reported the matter to the PSNI as a hate crime.
"The continued harassment of Scoil na Seolta and those behind the project is absolutely disgraceful.
"Let's call this out for what it is – a group of small minded people, who are in no way representative of the wider community, trying to stop young children from attending school," Mr De Faoite said.
"This is not about community concerns, it’s about bitter sectarianism and hatred," he added.
Alliance leader Naomi Long MLA said the level of interest from parents in sending their children to the school showed there was support for it.
"It's hard to imagine how fragile an adult's sense of identity must be if it is threatened by bilingual toddlers playing in a sand tray or learning to count to ten," she said.
Sinn Fein MLA Deirdre Hargey said it was the latest attempt to force the school out of the area.
"Those involved in the campaign to block the development of the Irish language in this part of the city must stop.
"Bunscoil na Seolta's facilities have already been approved by Belfast City Council, and they should move forward without delay," she added.
The PSNI said they were investigating the banner.
"Police received a report that a banner had been erected in the Montgomery Road area of East Belfast on Thursday, 31 October.
"The banner had been removed prior to police attendance. The matter is being treated as a sectarian hate incident, and enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing," it added.
