Christian group threatens Westminster Council over 'indoctrinating' pride flags
Group Christian Concern says Westminster Council is 'indoctrinating' visitors to the famous West End location and breaching planning control.
The Crown Estate, which owns most of the property on Regent Street, lodged plans in March to hoist hundreds of flags in 20 locations between mid-June and mid-July to support Pride events.
But after being permitted by Westminster Council in mid-May, Christian Concern says the council is opening itself up to potential legal action.
In recent years, the display has included over 300 LGBTQI+ Progress Pride flags, developed in 2018 by non-binary American artist and designer Daniel Quasar.
Based on the iconic rainbow flag from 1978, the redesign celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and calls for a more inclusive society, celebrating trans, black and brown, gender non-binary and intersex community members.
But hardline Christians say the flags, which on June 22 will replace Union Jacks currently flying to mark VE Day, create division by excluding more traditional views.
Christian Concern has previously made the point to the council that the Cass Review prohibits the indoctrination and confusion of primary school children with trans ideologies.
But the group claims: 'The flags do just that, exposing the hundreds of thousands of children who walk up and down Regent Street, including those who visit Hamleys, to a message and symbols which will be unlawful to teach and display in schools.'
Last year, Christian Concern launched a petition signed by 31,000 people calling for a similar display to be stopped.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: 'Many people experience these flags as an attack on historic, traditional beliefs about sex and gender.
'They send the message that people holding these views, which are worthy of respect in a democratic society, are not welcome.
'The majority of the public does not know the highly controversial and harmful symbolism presented by the Progress Pride Flag. At the heart of the flag is the trans flag – pink for girls, blue for boys and white for the 'transition' phase.
'This ideology has been discredited by the Cass Review, the closure of the Tavistock, and most recently Supreme Court ruling. When will the Crown estate catch up with the rest of society?
'If the council chooses to proceed with the display, we will have no option but to pursue legal action.'
The proposed flags will be hung from supporting wires, making use of existing fixing points which are intended for reuse.
In the planning report, Westminster planning officer Shaun Retzback noted that the flags would be hung at 20 locations along the street running from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly from June 22 until July 17.
He said: 'Flags are, in principle, an acceptable, colourful addition to Regent Street's buildings and there is a longstanding tradition of such displays. More Trending
'The flags proposed, to be strung on lines across the street, are not harmful to visual amenity for the temporary period sought, neither are they harmful when considered cumulatively with other flags and banners displayed on buildings in the street at present and across the street from time to time.'
A Westminster City Council spokesperson told Metro: 'The council supports festivals and celebrations from our different communities across the year. Pride is an annual and established fixture and has been supported by the Council for many years.
'Pride flags are in keeping with a cosmopolitan City that welcomes millions of visitors every year. All public community celebrations have a fixed duration and are both proportionate and fitting. Given similar pronouncements in previous years we await further information about the Christian Legal Centre's legal challenge with interest.'
Metro contacted the Crown Estate.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: £20 Pan-Indian feast from a Michelin-starred chef: 10 unmissable Time Out deals
MORE: Enjoy the weekend's heat with London's best boat restaurants
MORE: 'Swan Whisperer' banned from Hyde Park after residents objected to him kissing the birds
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Questions on UK spy plane 'over Gaza as Israel killed journalists'
On Sunday, August 10, the Israeli military killed prominent Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, as well as four of his colleagues and a freelancer, in a deliberate strike in Gaza City. Israel later claimed that al-Sharif had been a leading member of Hamas – but the allegation was widely contested, with Al Jazeera calling it a 'desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza'. READ MORE: Labour label Palestine Action terrorists – but ignore Nazi salutes from the far-right The Guardian reported that the strike which killed al-Sharif and his colleagues happened at 11.22pm, quoting Palestinian reporter Wadi Abu al-Saud. Flight radar data showed that a spy plane registered under the code N6147U was active at the RAF Akrotiri base, in Cyprus, two hours earlier. There is no flight path available, suggesting the plane's transponder was then turned off. This has been standard practice during spy missions over Palestine. Aid drops have been allowed into Gaza since Israel loosened its blockade of the regionLast week, the Daily Mail reported that plane N6147U belonged to an American private contractor, and had been hired to 'spy on Gaza due to shortage of RAF aircraft'. The UK Government had until then been sending its own aircraft to spy over Gaza since the October 7 attacks on Israel. In April, The Times reported that the UK Government had admitted to holding information gathered from a spy plane over Gaza on the day that an Israeli air strike killed British aid workers. However, the Ministry of Defence refused to release it. After the killing of al-Sharif, the UK's National Union of Journalists asked the Labour Government to back an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into Israel's targeting of media workers. In light of the above information, the UK Government was asked: Does the UK Government possess any information gathered by a spy plane over Gaza on August 10/11? Will it release the information publicly? Will it release the information to any investigation (by the ICC or otherwise) into the killing of journalists? SNP MSP Bill Kidd said: 'The SNP is clear that the killing of journalists in Gaza by Israel is indefensible and that Israel should be held to account. 'The UK Government must be fully transparent in answering these questions." A spokesperson for Scotland for Palestine campaign group said: 'Conducting spy flights over Gaza for Israel as it stands accused by the world's highest court of a plausible genocide is already grave. "If further evidence shows that the UK Government was involved in tracking down the last few remaining Palestinian journalists in a targeted assassination by Israel – a crime under international law – then this would be yet another serious mark against the UK Government. 'Similar to past atrocities, anyone who has helped Israel to commit crimes against humanity will one day face the consequences of their actions. READ MORE: Killing of Al Jazeera staff in Gaza 'silencing journalistic voices' 'We thank The National for following up on this and for holding the UK Government to account. 'The UK Government must now comply and release the information that has been requested on its spy flights over Gaza.' The Ministry of Defence declined to comment. Previously, the UK Government has said that its unarmed surveillance flights are conducted for the sole purpose of locating Israeli hostages held in Gaza. It has declined to release any information gathered, citing operational security.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
JD Vance trip to Scotland will put taxpayer 'out of pocket', says MSP
Speaking to The Herald, Green MSP Gillian Mackay said: 'Very recently Trumps visit demanded a major police operation, which cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds, and only weeks later we are going to be put out of pocket yet again.' Ms Mackay, who introduced anti-abortion protest buffer zone legislation to parliament, also took aim at Mr Vance's 'shameless' and 'misinformed' comments on Scotland's abortion buffer zones. Ms Mackay's comments come as it has been reported that Mr Vance and his family will arrive in Ayrshire on Wednesday on a private holiday. The Herald understands no Scottish Government official will meet with the US vice president during his stay. Last month, the Scottish Police Federation warned the force does not have sufficient resources to handle Mr Trump's visit and said it would lead to officers being unable to respond to some calls. Police Scotland has already said a 'significant policing operation' would be deployed for Mr Vance who is expected to land at Prestwick airport on Wednesday. READ MORE: Police Scotland 'planning' for JD Vance visit to Ayrshire Nicola Sturgeon memoir reveals letters from Donald Trump Trump wants Scotland to 'thrive' as he hits out at independence The Scottish Government told The Herald they would work collaboratively with partners, including the UK government and Police Scotland, "to manage the impact of a potential visit by the US Vice President to Scotland." Mr Vance is reportedly expected to head to the Carnell Estates at Hurlford, known for offering its guests shooting and fishing excursions. An anti-abortionist, Mr Vance has previously called for a complete ban of abortion in America and, in February this year, he accused the Scottish Government of 'thought crime' over its implementation of abortion buffer zones. The law on safe access zones, passed by an overwhelming majority of MSPs at the Scottish Parliament last year, prevents any public protests or vigils from taking place within 200m of abortion providers around the country. Speaking ahead of his visit, Ms Mackay, who introduced the legislation, said: 'JD Vance has spread shocking and shameless misinformation about my Act that introduced safe access zones in Scotland. 'Disinformation is playing an increasingly dangerous role in our communities and in global politics. 'Today and every day I will stand with the millions of people across the US who oppose the misogynistic and anti-choice agenda of Donald Trump and JD Vance.' In February this year, Mr Vance used the Scottish legislation as an example of free speech "in retreat" across Europe as he wrongly claimed the act made it illegal to pray in your home. The legislation has never infringed upon a person's right to privately pray in their own home. The Scottish Government has since said the comments made by the American vice president are wrong. The law covers using any "areas" in a buffer zone to publicly display anti-abortion messages and distressing images as it can be seen as aimed at women in the public space. Those who break the law may be fined up to £10,000 under summary procedure.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
China cautions tech firms over Nvidia H20 AI chip purchases, sources say
Aug 12 (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have summoned domestic companies including major internet firms Tencent ( opens new tab and ByteDance over their purchases of Nvidia's (NVDA.O), opens new tab H20 chips, asking them to explain their reasons and expressed concerns over information risks, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and other agencies also held meetings with Baidu ( opens new tab and smaller Chinese tech firms in recent weeks, said one of the two people and a third source. The Chinese officials asked companies why they needed to buy Nvidia chips when they could purchase from domestic suppliers, the sources. Authorities also expressed concerns that materials Nvidia has asked companies to submit for U.S. government review could contain sensitive information including client data, one of the sources said. However, the people, who declined to be identified because the meetings were not public, said the companies have not been ordered to stop buying H20 chips. Nvidia said on Tuesday the H20 chip was "not a military product or for government infrastructure". "China has ample supply of domestic chips to meet its needs. It won't and never has relied on American chips for government operations, just like the U.S. government would not rely on chips from China," the statement said. Baidu, ByteDance, Tencent and the CAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that Chinese authorities have urged domestic companies to avoid using Nvidia's H20 chips, particularly for government-related purposes. Several companies were issued official notices discouraging the use of the H20, a less-advanced chip, mainly for any government or national security-related work by state enterprises or private companies, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. In a separate report, The Information reported that ByteDance, Alibaba and Tencent had been ordered by the CAC in the past two weeks to suspend Nvidia chip purchases altogether, citing data security concerns. The CAC directive was communicated at a meeting the regulator held with over a dozen Chinese tech firms, shortly after the Trump administration reversed the export curbs on H20 chips, according to the Information report. Reuters could not immediately confirm the reports and Alibaba did not respond to a request for comment. Top contract chipmaker SMIC ( opens new tab rose 5% on Tuesday on expectations of rising demand for locally-produced chips. But even without an outright ban, the concerns expressed by Chinese authorities could threaten Nvidia's recently restored access to the Chinese market as Chinese companies look to keep in step with regulators. Nvidia designed the H20 specifically for China after U.S. export restrictions on its more advanced AI chips took effect in late 2023. The H20 had since been the most sophisticated AI chip Nvidia was allowed to sell in China. Earlier this year, U.S. authorities effectively banned its sale to China, but reversed the decision in July following an agreement between Nvidia and the Trump administration. Last month, China's cyberspace regulator summoned Nvidia representatives, asking the company to explain whether the H20 posed backdoor security risks that could affect Chinese user data and privacy. State-controlled media have intensified criticism of Nvidia in recent days. Yuyuan Tantian, affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, published an article on WeChat over the weekend claiming H20 chips pose security risks and lack technological advancement and environmental friendliness. The scrutiny threatens a significant revenue stream for Nvidia, which generated $17 billion from China sales in its fiscal year ended January 26 - or 13% of total revenue. China has accelerated work on domestic AI chip alternatives, with companies, such as Huawei ( developing processors that rival the H20's performance, and Beijing urging the technology sector to become more self-sufficient. However, U.S. sanctions on advanced chipmaking equipment, including lithography machines essential for chip production, have constrained domestic manufacturers' ability to boost production. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that he might allow Nvidia to sell a scaled-down version of its advanced Blackwell chip in China, despite deep-seated fears in Washington that Beijing could harness U.S. AI capabilities to supercharge its military. China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it hoped the U.S. would act to maintain the stability and smooth operation of the global chip supply chain. The Trump administration last week confirmed an unprecedented deal with Nvidia and AMD (AMD.O), opens new tab, which agreed to give the U.S. government 15% of revenue from sales of some advanced chips in China. China's renewed guidance on avoiding chips also affects AI accelerators from AMD, Bloomberg also reported. It was not clear, however, whether any notices from Chinese authorities specifically mentioned AMD's MI308 chip. AMD did not respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
