A surge of people painting the St George’s Cross on zebra crossings and roundabouts is rolling out across the country
A wave of people painting the St George’s Cross on zebra crossings and roundabouts is sweeping across the nation.
From London to the Midlands, Dorset to Devon, ‘patriots’ have been hitting the streets to add the red and white flag symbol in public places – sparking a split in public opinion.
Councils nationwide are urging people to stop painting the St George Cross on roads – and are faced with a massive clean-up operation.
Some have branded the St George flag graffiti as ’embarrassing’, while others view the vandalism as a ‘display of patriotism’.
One of the numerous videos shared on social media this week captures two men in St George flag face masks painting the red and white emblem on a pedestrian crossing in Willenhall, West Midlands.
A man painting the flag on a crossing (Image: Facebook)
However, this act of vandalism, hailed as ‘patriotic’ by some, has highlighted an ironic point: that St George was actually ‘a Turkish man’ and not English at all, reports the Daily Star.
The individual who posted the video on Facebook said: “Actually quite embarrassing tbh. I’d be mortified if this was my Dad.”
A video shows two middle-aged men executing the paint job on a zebra crossing, their identities concealed by St George flag facemasks. It was initially shared by someone on Facebook, then reposted by the Russelled News Facebook page.
The poster added: “Trying to fight and intimidate “illegal immigrants” with the St George cross flag. St George was a Turkish man and believed to be of Greek descent. If you’re painting the St George’s flag wherever you can, you’re not proud of your country.”
Others joining the discussion have proposed traditional English methods of showing patriotism, such as assisting a neighbour, volunteering for a community initiative – or simply preparing a warm meal or cake for someone in need.
As a fresh ‘St George was not English’ controversy unfolds, the English Heritage website outlines the background of the ancient saint.
English Heritage declared on their website: “St George wasn’t English. He might be our national patron, (but) St George was likely a Greek-speaker who lived and died in the Roman Near East.”
They noted that St George was ‘a Christian’ who ‘died a martyr’s death in about AD 303’.
Remarkably, he’s an ‘international saint’ as England isn’t the sole nation to claim him, with Venice, Genoa, Ethiopia, Portugal and Catalonia all declaring St George their patron saint and hosting celebrations in his honour.
St George’s burial site lies in the city of Diospolis or Lydda (now Lod in Israel) in Roman Palestine, English Heritage revealed, frequently visited by pilgrims.
St George’s remains rest in the crypt of the Greek-Orthodox church in Lod in Israel, which arguably adds an entirely new dimension to the current national debate.
