Latest news with #StGeorgesFlag
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Roundabouts graffitied with St George flag
BBC At least six mini-roundabouts in Birmingham have been graffitied with red crosses to look like St George's flags. Roundabouts in the Kings Heath and Yardley Wood areas were painted overnight at the weekend, while a video on social media purportedly showed a man daubing others several miles away in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. It comes as hundreds of St George's and union jack flags flown from lampposts by residents started to be taken down by Birmingham City Council last week, which the authority said was due to safety concerns. Some residents described the painted traffic islands as "vandalism" but others have applauded the emergence of England flags in suburbs across the city. West Midlands Police said it had not received a complaint but said it would investigate criminal damage if a report was made by the local authority or a member of the public. 'Wanton vandalism' One woman, who lives near a painted roundabout in Woodthorpe Road, Kings Heath, described it as "sheer, wanton vandalism". "The council doesn't have the money to fix the potholes, let alone repaint mini islands." A man living close to the same roundabout said it was "not patriotic, it just feels like an excuse for xenophobia". "There are better ways to show pride - ways that are inclusive and respectful, not resorting to vandalism," he said. In recent weeks, the union jack and St George's Cross have been hung in the Weoley Castle and Northfield areas of the city, which local residents said they were doing so in an act of patriotism. But the city council had them taken down and issued a safety plea to residents thinking of attaching the flags to lampposts and other street furniture. It said it was upgrading streetlights to energy-efficient LED lighting and because of this had so far removed about 200 banners and flags. Flags have emerged in other areas, including Hollywood, Wythall and Barnt Green on the Worcestershire border. 'Flags represent us' Some people in the Weoley Castle and Northfield areas of Birmingham told BBC Radio WM they supported the flags being flown. One woman said: "It's patriotic, so I think it's lovely. It represents us doesn't it, Great Britain?" Another woman said: "I think they're great, [they] put a smile on people's faces. "They're not doing any harm just flying in the wind, representing England, which is where we are, obviously." Another woman said it would "nice to see all different flags up" to show how multicultural the city was. While a man told the BBC if the sentiment behind it was "anti-immigration", he was "totally against" the flags being put up. "That's not a very nice thing to do," he said. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Related internet links West Midlands Police Birmingham West Midlands Police
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Good Morning Britain viewers outraged as 'hateful' guest insists St George's Flag 'represents racism, not patriotism' and should be CHANGED
Good Morning Britain viewers were left outraged by a guest who proposed removing the St George's flag from England on Tuesday. The segment comes after an increased number of people have used the flag and the Union Jack to oppose immigration into the UK in recent weeks. Many have brought the St George's Cross to protests outside of hotels being used by the government to house asylum seekers - such as the Britannia International in Canary Wharf, where several demonstrations have been held. Kehinde Andrews, Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University, told hosts Adil Ray and Kate Garraway that the history of the flag has always been problematic. Andrews said: 'It's not that the far-right has co-opted the flag. It's that we don't understand what this country is and the history of both of these symbols. 'Both of these flags are the flags that were flown on ships that enslaved my ancestors; those are the flags that the British Army marched into places like Pakistan, India, Bengal, Africa, and colonised 25 percent of the world.' However, Dr Rakib Ehsan took the opposing view and argued that there is absolutely nothing wrong with people displaying the St George's Flag and the Union Jack. Ehsan said: 'In my view, there are many reasons why we should be proud of British identity. We should celebrate expressions of English pride. 'If I just speak from a personal perspective, I think that Britain has a rich tradition of religious freedom. 'I also think that, compared to other European countries, it fares much better in terms of anti-discrimination laws against its minorities.' While Ehsan acknowledged why some people are now viewing the flags differently, he believes that they can be a symbol of unity. He went on: 'But I actually think when I see ethnic minority people expressing pride in their Britishness, celebrating their sense of belonging in England, I think that's the perfect antidote, a great counter-challenge to far-right activity and those groups that ultimately want to take ownership of those flags.' However, Andrews insisted that the flag simply cannot be used in this way. Andrews later added: 'These flags, these symbols, they represent white supremacy. You're never going to get a large majority who will never look at that flag and never see anything but intimidation.' Reactions to the segment online were mixed, with many arguing that there is nothing 'hateful' about the flags, fuming: 'This is England, the English will fly their flag as and when they want to, WHEREVER they want to.' Reactions to the segment online were mixed, with many arguing that there is nothing 'hateful' about the flags, fuming: 'This is England, the English will fly their flag as and when they want to, WHEREVER they want to' While Ehsan acknowledged why some people are now viewing the flags differently, he believes that they can be a symbol of unity Others agreed: 'Why are we arguing about the British flag?! We are in Britain! In Greece they have their flag everywhere so do Italy Spain all over Europe.'; 'This is the exact reason the country is on its a**e. Idiots like this saying a country's flag is a symbol of hate when actually it's the wokeness of the country which has made it that way, and the way authorities force things down your throat.' But there were viewers who agreed that the flag has been latched onto by the far right, making its usage now problematic. They wrote: 'It's not being patriotic though is it? We all know why it's happening.' 'Interesting debate. Unfortunately though there is no doubt that the St George's flag especially has been latched onto by far right fake patriot groups and used as their banner to spread hate. 'I'd love the country to reclaim its flag from those people.'; 'In this instance they're being flown as a deliberately act of racist provocation by the far right, who sadly have claimed the flag as theirs. 'Why is a national flag required at a protest about migrant hotels? Doesn't mean though flags are inherently racist & cant ever be flown [sic].'
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Defiant locals vow to hang hundreds of St George's flags across UK after council sparked fury by tearing them down
DEFIANT locals are vowing to hang hundreds of St George's flags across the UK after councils sparked fury by tearing them down. The Union Jack and St George's flags were raised by locals up and down the country as part of a movement online called 'Operation Raise the Colours'. 11 11 11 Operation Raise the Colours saw flags first raised in East London and Birmingham this month before they were ordered to be taken down. The movement has led to communities across the country hanging up flags on their streets, including Manchester, Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich and the Isle of Wight, in defiance of council bans. Activists are continuing to use a Facebook page to help gather flags together. Members are chipping in with offers of transport and equipment, such as ladders. One user posted: "60 of the 120 just collected... going to be a busy few evenings." A second wrote: "I just feel that the time has come to all band together and refuse to be bullied, we are proud of our country and should not be made to feel otherwise." It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said he 'absolutely' supports people putting up English flags amid the row, a spokesperson said. Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, who was found guilty of electoral fraud in 2015, has thwarted the campaign. The national flags will now be ripped down "as part of routine maintenance". Residents hit out after Tower Hamlets Council in east London announced the patriotic displays would be removed. Group members have vowed to redouble their efforts and rejected criticism the movement is "aggressive". And the PM 'absolutely' supports people putting up the English flags, it was revealed. Asked about the saga, the PM's spokesman said: 'I haven't asked him about specific cases, specific councils, but I think the PM has always talked about his pride in being British, the patriotism he feels." Pressed if he supports people flying the English flag, the spokesman said: 'Absolutely - 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.' However, the PM stopped short of commenting on individual cases such as the disputes in Birmingham and Tower Hamlets. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp slammed the "two-tier policy" earlier this week. "The Union Flag and St George's Cross are part of our national identity," he said. "Displaying these flags shouldn't just be allowed - it should be encouraged, and they should fly with pride "Councils like Birmingham and Tower Hamlets allowed flags of other counties to be displayed for weeks or months. "But at the first sign of our national flags and they come straight down. "More two tier policy. It is simply wrong.' 11 11 But a spokesperson for the council said: "We are aware members of the public have been putting up St George's 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." This comes after locals put up the St George's flags on houses and streetlights in Northfield, Birmingham, in what was described as a show of "patriotic outpouring". The Union Jack and St George's flags were put up using ladders and cable ties by a group of residents called the Weoley Warriors. Funded by £2,500 of public donations, the campaign is intended to 'show Birmingham and the rest of the country of how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements'. But Birmingham City Council confirmed the flags will be removed, saying the "unauthorised items" are "dangerous" and could potentially kill motorists and pedestrians. The council said that the extra weight could "potentially lead to collapse" in the future. 11 11
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Roundabouts graffitied with St George's Cross amid row over flags on lampposts
Roundabouts graffitied with red paint to appear like St George's flags have been criticised by local residents as 'wanton vandalism'. At least six mini-roundabouts in the Birmingham area have been painted with red crosses to look like the England flag, the BBC reported. The roundabouts, seen in the Kings Heath and Yardley Wood area, are believed to have been painted over the weekend. Some residents have criticised the appearance of the red cross, as woman told the broadcaster that she believed the graffiti was 'sheer, wanton vandalism", adding: "The council doesn't have the money to fix the potholes, let alone repaint mini islands." Another man said the paint was 'not patriotic, it just feels like an excuse for xenophobia". "There are better ways to show pride - ways that are inclusive and respectful, not resorting to vandalism," he said. It comes after flags put up across the area were taken down by the council, which said the move is part of planned maintenance works. Birmingham City Council said staff had been instructed to remove all attachments from lampposts ahead of an upgrade to energy-efficient LED street lighting. The council said the works would help reduce energy use, carbon emissions and maintenance costs. It added that around 200 advertising banners and flags attached to lampposts have been removed since the start of the year. A spokesperson said the council routinely removes items such as advertising signs, bunting and flags, carrying out 'stress tests' on street furniture ahead of formal events or celebrations. The lamppost flags are thought to be part of 'Operation Raise the Colours', an online movement backed by far-right figures including Stephen Yaxley Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson. One man told the BBC he was 'totally against' the flags being put up if they were 'anti-immigration'. Some residents were more positive about the flags going up, with one telling the BBC: "It's patriotic, so I think it's lovely. It represents us, doesn't it, Great Britain?" Another said: 'I think they're great, [they] put a smile on people's faces. They're not doing any harm just flying in the wind, representing England, which is where we are, obviously."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
You CAN fly St George's flag, Sir Keir Starmer says amid rows between furious locals and councils
Keir Starmer on Monday night backed the public's right to fly St George's flags after furious locals thwarted a second council's efforts to remove them from lamp posts. Council workers in Tower Hamlets, east London, were met with abuse as they began to tear down England and Union Jack flags which were hung by patriotic campaigners. It came after Birmingham City Council provoked a backlash last week by announcing it would begin removing hundreds of similar flags from the city's streets for 'safety reasons'. Critics have pointed out that Palestine flags were left to fly in parts of Birmingham and the east London borough – both of which have large Muslim populations – for months without being challenged by authorities. An online movement called 'Operation Raise the Colours' has led to communities across the country hanging up flags, including in Bradford, Newcastle and Norwich. Downing Street on Sunday backed the flying of the national flags, although stopped short of commenting on individual cases such as the disputes in Birmingham and Tower Hamlets. Sir Keir's official spokesman said: 'The PM has always talked about his pride in being British, his… patriotism will always be an important thing to him.' Asked if the Prime Minister was supportive of people putting up English flags, his spokesman said: 'Absolutely. We put up English flags all around Downing Street every time the English football team are out trying to win games for us.' There were fractious scenes in Tower Hamlets yesterday when a small team of council cleaners began to cut down England flags from lamp posts using long branch-lopping-style shears. The authority is led by Lutfur Rahman of the pro-Palestine Aspire Party, and previously refused to remove hundreds of Palestine flags that were hanging from lamp posts and council buildings so as not to 'destabilise community cohesion'. Mr Rahman – who was previously found guilty of electoral fraud – finally ordered them to be removed last year after Jewish locals complained they were intimidating and divisive. But when the cleaners began to remove the England and Union flags yesterday, they found themselves on the receiving end of abuse from passers-by. 'This is a f***ing joke,' one driver shouted, adding: 'We're going put them back up anyway.' The flags could be seen dumped in a pile in the back of a refuse lorry being driven by the cleaners. A spokesman for Tower Hamlets council said: 'While we recognise people wish to express their views, we have a responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure.' Last night all 12 Reform UK-controlled councils said they would not be removing St George's and Union flags from lamp posts.
