‘The far right have hijacked the flag of St George’: Council flag ban sparks reader backlash

HHas St George’s flag been usurped by the far right, or has it been unfairly restricted by councils responding to concerns of intimidation?

The question is at the center of a row after Oxfordshire County Council sought to ban the placement of British and Union Jack flags on lampposts, arguing they caused “fear and division” among residents.

The council issued legal notices and applied to the High Court for an injunction following complaints, reports of offensive behavior when flags were raised and concerns about safety risks and highway congestion.

Officials said the action targeted unauthorized street equipment, not private exhibits, and that the goal was to keep public spaces safe and inclusive.

Our readers are divided. While some argued that the flags were associated with the far right and could be intimidating in certain contexts, others said the flags represented ordinary national pride and should not be restricted.

Some commentators suggested that overuse diluted their meaning, while others criticized the councils for overreach and poor timing during the World Cup.

Here’s what you need to say:

Far right hijacks St George’s flag

The far right has hijacked the St George’s flag and this is not the time for such action to be taken. Their goals are clear and obvious, so let’s not pursue “political correctness” on this issue.

It is a very sad situation that the national flag of England, flown en masse on lampposts, is being used as a divisive and racist statement of intent.

There are times and places to “fly the flag”, such as supporting a British sports team or celebrating a historic event. The constant lining up of the streets is tasteless and only serves ulterior motives.

StigStag

lost pride

In the sixties and early seventies this was not a problem.

Back then, we were just like normal countries, with the Union flag flying by proper, proud British people.

The BNP, the National Front and football goons have claimed it ever since.

That’s how we got to this ridiculous situation.

hurricane8

Flags lose their significance when overused

In the past, the Union Jack and British flags flew on official buildings and people respected their importance.

The flags that are now hung on every lamp post and turned into shirts look very ordinary and lose their importance and significance. It has the opposite effect.

Sunlight

It’s just a flag

I can’t understand why a piece of material hitting a pole some distance away would trigger anyone.

Don’t we have lives to go on? Let’s do this.

dumbarton

Bad timing…

The council does not stop people flying the St George flag. Lamp post etc. They take it down where it is erected. People can still fly the flag they want from their own homes. However, the council chose the wrong moment; At least until England are eliminated from the World Cup!

jealous

Fly your flag proudly

Imagine telling a Welsh man he can’t fly his country’s flag! They fly all over Wales and I love seeing them!

As a Brit, I think it’s bad to fly my flag because some have usurped it for their own purposes. They are the ones who need stricter laws.

My view is this: be proud of your country and fly your own flag, especially when supporting our national teams in sporting events.

However, when British flags are flown inappropriately to intimidate, this needs to be addressed separately as this is not very British or patriotic in my view.

free house

Shouldn’t a country be proud of its flag?

If people migrate, they should accept the symbols of the country they come from. Here in Spain, the Spanish flag and the Andalusian flag are always flown in many places and are ubiquitous during times of celebration. We were blown away when Rafa won Wimbledon!

Shouldn’t a country be proud of its flag?

Fly it proudly and let it fly everywhere to neutralize any suggestion that it is in any way a negative symbol.

no comments

Proper flagpoles would look better

What the municipality needs to do is to erect flagpoles throughout the council area and hang flags on them. I’m sure they wouldn’t even need to pay for it since they could raise the money to do it. Those cheap flags hung with cable ties and rope (sometimes upside down in the case of the Union flag) don’t really look good. But I think properly installed and maintained would be a great idea.

robc

What is the evidence of intimidation?

The burden of proof is on the intimidation claim. Carrying the national flag is a common practice in most countries. If someone claims this was intended to intimidate, that intent needs proof beyond just the existence of the flag. The national flag has multiple meanings. National identity, remembrance, patriotism, etc. can express. It is not reasonable to assume the most negative comment when more than one positive comment is available.

Musil

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Resisting flag display

Paper patriots tried to hang their flags on our street. We just added another: a St George flag that says “Keep immigrants, deport racists.” It immediately changed the entire screen because now every other flag appeared to support this message.

The paper patriots removed it (so much for so-called freedom of speech). We put another one; same message. It took the Patriots two days to remove it. We also put the third one. It stood for about a week, and then the paper patriots took down their own flag. We left ours with the message for a few days, then took it down and hid it.

Actually

It extends to Emily Thornberry

Flags flying became an issue for me after Emily Thornberry posted a picture and tweet of a house with a white van and several UK flags during a by-election in Rochester in 2014, with the intention of defaming the owner. He later resigned as a shadow minister, along with himself and the Labor Party in general, and was accused of being a snob.

People don’t like being humiliated and suddenly more flags appeared as if to say “fuck it, I’ll do what I want”.

DaveAni

Another flag is no problem

This is England and countless generations of our people have given their lives to protect our country. No leftist penman will ever stop the decent men and women of Britain from flying our flag or declaring that we are proud of who we are as a people. We know that if another flag known to man had been hung on the lamp posts, the council would not have had a problem with it.

Sagia

Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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