Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was showered with glittery confetti by a gay rights protester during a visit to Minnesota.

Mr Gingrich and his wife Callista were attending a book-signing in Minneapolis when they had the box of sparkling confetti emptied over their heads.

Protester Nick Espinosa, a well-known political prankster, approached the couple and said: "Feel the rainbow, Newt. Stop the hate. Stop anti-gay politics. It's dividing our country and it's not fixing our economy."

Mr Espinosa, 24, said he was protesting against a proposal to ban gay marriage in Minnesota.

He later explained: "I don't think a free will adulterer like Newt has any ground to stand up while telling others who they can and can't love."

After the attack, Mr Gingrich smiled as he removed glitter from his hair and remarked: "Nice to live in a free country."





�?t is not the first time the 67-year-old, who announced his presidential bid earlier this month, has been involved in controversy.

The Republican hopeful is facing a struggle to win over conservative voters over his two divorces and infidelities.

He has also became embroiled in an argument this week with fellow party member Paul Ryan, who proposed to overhaul the US social insurance programme Medicare.

In an interview, Mr Gingrich described his plans to replace Medicare with vouchers that older Americans could use to buy private health insurance as "right-wing social engineering".