Flags were taken down by a number of local authorities last week after campaigners attached them following an online movement called “Operation Raise the Colours” – but what started it and why is it controversial?
Thousands of St George flags were put up in towns, cities and villages this week – and some of them were pulled straight down sparking a huge row with local councils.
Flags were taken down by a number of local authorities this week, including Tower Hamlets in east London as well as Birmingham, after campaigners attached them following an online movement called “Operation Raise the Colours”.
On Monday, St George’s cross flags were pictured on the A1206 on the Isle of Dogs in the east of the capital, while BirminghamLive also reported flags that have been flown in areas of the city have been removed by the local council. Red crosses were also painted on roundabouts, zebra crossings and other white road markings.
HopenotHate claim that some of those linked to the activism are hardened and extreme far-right activists. Britain First claims to have provided many of the flags in the North West.
How did it all start?
After the Lioness Euros campaign picked up in July, families showed their support by hanging out flags from windows or on poles outside their gardens. Streets in the Birmingham areas of Weoley Castle and Northfield had a mixture of the St George Cross and union jacks hanging from every lamppost along several of their streets. Then other areas Wythall and Hollywood followed suit.
The vast majority of comments on the Weoley Castle Community Facebook page were supportive of the move. “We all like the flags. They brighten up the area and they’re not offensive in the slightest,” said one typical Facebook post.
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But the activity has also stirred concern and suspicion amid claims those responsible are politically motivated and are seeking to stir up division between white British residents and other communities. The area is expected to be targeted by Reform and independent candidates in next year’s local elections.
A group calling themselves the Weoley Warriors claimed responsibility, saying they were a “group of proud English men with a common goal to show Birmingham and the rest of the country of how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements”.
Are the flags being taken down?
In general, Downing Street recently said the Prime Minister is “absolutely” supportive of people who put up English flags.
The prominence of the flags has posed a dilemma for Birmingham’s council, who have said they intend to remove ‘unauthorised attachments’ on lamp-posts as part of a ‘programme of works to improve street lighting’ in the city but they have stopped short, however, of coordinating a mass removal.
Pablo O’Hana, a political advisor, was cycling along Didsbury in Manchester en route to the gym on Wednesday when he noticed a Union Jack and England flag secured to a bridge overhead. He told the Manchester Evening News how he walked up the bridge and removed the two flags, which he believes are currently ‘being used to cause division’, before being confronted by a man from a local pub.
In the video he recorded, Pablo can be heard confirming to the man that he had taken down the flags, responding: “Yeah, I did, yeah.” When questioned by the other bloke in the clip, Pablo replies: “Because that’s not what our country is mate.“I put the f****rs up,” the other man retorts, before demanding: “What the f*** do you think you’re doing son?” and “F*** off you d***head” before scrambling up the steps to attempt to recover them.
Man putting up flags confronted
Pablo explained he took down the flags because they’d been erected on council property and because ‘our country is better than that’. Worries have emerged in recent days regarding the painting of the red St George’s cross on white walls and mini-roundabouts nationwide. Pablo, who posted his footage on social media, told the Manchester Evening News he is ‘proud to be British’ and supports flying the flags ‘to support unity’, but that in the current climate it is being used deliberately ‘as bullying’.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham suggested last week that individuals painting the crosses might be ‘seeking confrontation’. Speaking on BBC Radio, he commented: “You can obviously display a flag if that’s your choice but I don’t know, I do wonder about the times we’re living in.
“If people want to display it, fine on their own property, but I don’t think you’ve got the right to go out and paint public property.”
Why are some people unhappy about the flags?
Some people suspect those responsible are politically motivated and are seeking to stir up division between white British residents and other communities. Birmingham resident Nazia said she respected the pride so many felt in the flag. She told Birmingham Live : “But for others, especially minorities like myself, it’s become harder to separate that pride from the undertone of nationalism that sometimes comes with it.
“I’m not against people celebrating their identity or showing support during national events. But I think we all have a responsibility to understand how those actions are perceived by others—especially in a city as beautifully multicultural as Birmingham.
“We’re lucky to live in a place where so many cultures, languages, and communities come together. That should be something we protect, not divide.”
A spokesperson for HopenotHate said: “There is nothing wrong with raising the Union Jack or cross of St George. Despite what people claim on social media, it’s not illegal to be proud to be English or British! It’s also true that not everyone who has raised a flag is far right.
“But the fact that much of this wave of activism is being organised by well-known racists and extremists does raise questions about the motivations behind much of Operation Raise the Colours. “
But Hayley Owens, 40, a former West Midlands Police officer turned podcaster and spin class teacher said: “I think people have had enough of what is going on in this country. We are sick of having to apologise for being British. The flags have had such a positive impact on the community, people love them. There is nothing political about it.”
Keir Starmer’s view
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “I think the PM has always talked about his pride of being British, the patriotism he feels.
“I think he’s talked about that previously […] not least recently in relation to the Lionesses’ successful campaign in the Euros. Patriotism will always be an important thing to him.
“We put up English flags all around Downing Street every time the English football team – women’s and men’s – are out trying to win games for us.”
Tower Hamlets Council said it has a “policy setting out which flags are flown from council buildings and on which occasions”.
In a statement, the council added: “We are aware members of the public have been putting up St George flags on various structures.
“While we recognise people wish to express their views, we have a responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure.
“Where flags are attached to council-owned infrastructure without permission, they may be removed as part of routine maintenance.”
What does the law say?
According to the gov.uk website: “Flags are a very British way of expressing joy and pride – they are emotive symbols which can boost local and national identities, strengthen community cohesion and mark civic pride.
“The government wants to see more flags flown, particularly the Union Flag, the flag of the United Kingdom. It is a symbol of national unity and pride. The government has recently issued guidance encouraging the flying of the Union Flag on all UK government buildings throughout the year, alongside other national and local flags.
“We are keen for local authorities and other local organisations to follow suit. We have made it easier for the Union Flag to be flown alongside other flags, so organisations can highlight their local identities, as well as their national identities, and celebrate special days or events which champion civic pride.
“In England, the flying of flags is treated as advertisements for the purposes of the planning regime to ensure the flags do not impact on safety or amenity. Some flags require formal consent (permission) from the local planning authority, whereas others like the Union Flag do not.”
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “We proudly fly the Union flag outside the Council House every day and recognise the importance of the Union flag and flag of St George as symbols of national pride.
“Brummies are proud to be British and proud that this is a welcoming city celebrating many different cultures. When it comes to items attached to lamp posts, it is normal council procedure for these to be removed on a regular basis, in line with our health and safety obligations.
“As has always been the case, people are free to fly or hang flags from their homes or gardens, but we ask that they are not attached to street furniture.”
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