City Streets Bare Of Union Jack And St George’s Flags (But Palestine Flags Remain)

A Labour-run council has sparked a significant backlash by ripping down St George’s and Union Jack flags from streets because they ‘could put lives at risk’ – despite Palestinian flags flying high across the city for several months.

Scores of British flags have sprung up on lampposts and buildings across parts of Northfield, Birmingham, in what organisers have described as a ‘patriotic outpouring’.

Before moving on to places like Bartley Green, Selly Oak, and Frankley Great Park, they initially showed up in Weoley Castle.

Weoley Warriors, who are behind the influx of flags, describe themselves as 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.’

The protesters, who have raised £4,000 for flags, poles and cable ties, have defiantly hit back at accusations they are racist and insist they are ‘giving hope to local communities that all isn’t lost and they are not alone.’ 

One member said they had put up the flags because they have ‘had enough’. ‘This country is a disgrace and has no backbone,’ they said. ‘This isn’t racism, it’s frustration at being pushed into a corner and silenced.’ 

However, the row has also worsened after Birmingham City Council confirmed it will start removing flags from lampposts, saying that the additional weight could ‘potentially lead to collapse’ in the future.

The Labour-run council – which is already under fire over its handling of the five-month bin strikes – also claimed those attaching flags ‘could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk’ despite being up to 25 feet off the ground.

Critics have also pointed out that Palestinian flags have flown across the city, where 29.9 per cent of residents are Muslim, for several months since the war broke out in Gaza.

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson told the Telegraph: ‘This is nothing short of a disgrace and shows utter contempt for the British people. We should be flying our flags with pride. Our nation has a rich history of hospitality, generosity and innovation – something to be celebrated, not condemned.

‘Any elected official who supports removing the British or English flags, restricting personal freedoms or silencing free speech should be removed from office for betraying the very country they serve.’

It coincides with escalating tensions in Britain, as anger over the government’s handling of the small boat issue has grown, leading to dozens of protests outside asylum seeker hotels in recent weeks.

‘Right-wing’ protesters and families – many waving Union Jack flags – have held protests over illegal migrants staying in their towns, with concerns growing after an Ethiopian asylum seeker was charged with sexually assaulting a girl in Epping, Essex.

They have regularly been met by counter-protesters, often led by Stand Up to Racism, resulting in large numbers of activists attending demonstrations across the country.

Birmingham locals have responded to the recent initiative to display flags throughout the city by displaying their own or requesting that their streets be decorated next, sparking a new discussion.

‘We all like the flags. They brighten up the area and they’re not offensive in the slightest,’ one resident wrote on a local Facebook page.

However, the patriotism has also given rise to claims that people in charge are trying to sow discord between the local white British community and other communities.

Northfield is anticipated to be targeted by Reform and independent candidates in next year’s local elections. In the July 4 general election, Labour gained from the Conservatives, but Reform came third with a 21 per cent share of the vote.

Resident Nazia told Birmingham Live that she respected the pride Brits feel about the flag but added: ‘For others, especially minorities like myself, it’s become harder to separate that pride from the undertone of nationalism that sometimes comes with it.’

She said she wasn’t against people celebrating their identity 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,’ she added.

‘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.’

Birmingham City Council has said they intend to remove ‘unauthorised attachments’ on lamp-posts as part of a ‘programme of works to improve street lighting’ in the city. 

They claim those putting them up are putting themselves and others in danger. But it’s understood they do not intend to carry out a mass removal amid fears it could trigger a protest.

A spokesman for the council said: ‘People who attach unauthorised items to lampposts could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk.

‘Placing unauthorised attachments on street furniture, particularly tall structures like lampposts, can be dangerous.’ 

Jeremy Duthie, from Weoley Castle, supported the flags in his area, saying: ‘My personal opinion is that anyone who has a problem with our national flag being flown is living in the wrong country and should maybe consider living in the country represented by whatever flag they prefer to see flying.’ 

Meanwhile, former West Midlands Police officer Hayley Owens said she was ‘sick of having to apologise for being British’ and insisted there was ‘nothing political about it’.

She denied accusations of racism, adding: ‘People are choosing to live here, in England, and should be proud of that. The flags are not aimed at anyone in a negative way.’ 

One social media user on a Weoley Castle Facebook page added: ‘Every other country flies their flag with pride, but when England/British do it, it’s got to be for racist reasons. Why shouldn’t we be proud of England? It’s the country we live in. Those who have issue with it should leave England and dictate to the next country that they shouldn’t fly their flag either.’

Councillor Simon Morrall, who represents Frankley Great Park on the city council, said it was a ‘clearly peaceful moment’ that ‘residents love’.

He has also written to the council to suggest an ‘amnesty’ on removing any flags until at least the end of August. 

Birmingham City Council is already encountering enormous tension over its handling of the bin strikes, which have plagued the city. The dispute between the council and Unite the Union is still ongoing, with no solution in sight after more than six months.

Rats are now feeding on litter, and locals must live with the smell of decomposing waste.

Last month, another Union Jack row broke out when a 12-year-old schoolgirl was sent home from a culture day celebration for wearing a Union flag dress. The schoolmistress was called on to publicly apologise.

Courtney Wright, 12, was forced to spend a morning in seclusion at Bilton School in Rugby, after staff told her she couldn’t wear her Spice Girls-style dress or make a speech like other pupils.

The straight-A student, who had intended to talk about history and traditions in a discussion she had prepared, was told the dress was unacceptable, withdrawn from her class and left to remain in the school reception until her dad arrived from work to collect her.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer seemed to support Courtney’s choice of attire after his spokesperson said he had always been ‘clear that being British is something to be celebrated’.

The school offered its ‘unreserved apologies’ to the girl, saying it had caused ‘considerable upset to one of our pupils, her family and members of the wider community’.

Everything that is wrong with our nation is brought to light in this article, and anything that Labour touches, they make worse. This is, without a doubt, the most destructive government in my living memory.

I find it incomprehensible that we are unable to fly the British flag. Indeed, provided that you don’t fly it on someone else’s property or in a risky manner, you can.

We must be the only nation in the world that promotes guilt about our national pride and identity.

It’s fine to be accepting of other people, but it’s bad to be too accepting and to apologise for who we are.

When you consider the contributions the UK has made to the fields of science, the arts, engineering, and medicine, all of this is simply absurd. Despite winning global wars, we are not permitted to take pride in our British heritage.

Everyone who is British in the UK should fly their flags with pride because if we don’t, our Labourite councils and Trotsky government will demonise us.

It’s our national flag, be it the Union Jack, the St George’s Cross, the Uy Ddraig Goch, the Saltire or the St Andrew’s Cross, any or all should be allowed to be flown by the people. They should not be hidden away to satisfy people of other nationalities. It’s not about being open and considerate; it’s called having some pride in the country’s history.

These migrants who come to our country and fly their flag should stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, and if they don’t like it, they can always go back to their country, where they can fly their flag.

I have nothing against people flying their own flag, but I do object to being denied the opportunity to fly my own!