More than 150 residents gathered to remove Union Jack flags from lamp-posts, saying the display had become a symbol of division within the community.
The flag of the United Kingdom and the Flag of St George hang from lamposts in Birmingham (Image: PA)
Around 150 local residents came together in a Birmingham suburb this weekend for a “de-flagging celebration,” taking down Union Jack flags from lamp-posts. The flags had been put up a week earlier as part of “Operation Raise the Colours” organised by campaign group Raise the Colours which says it is fighting rising levels of immigration. One of the organisation’s co-founder’s, Ryan Bridge of Bromsgrove has rejected claims that the actions were racist and said the aim was to promote patriotism and national unity.
Local resident and activist, Carol Williams, however, said Raise the Colours was “deliberately spreading hate and division amongst the community”. She said that national tensions have been mounting in recent months and that the flags had become “symbols of division.”
Moseley is an affluent area in Birmingham (Image: Buckinghamshire Examiner)
She told the BBC: “The flags themselves are not racist or non-patriotic, but the intent behind them most definitely is.
She added: “I’ve heard stories of people saying they don’t feel safe in the country any more, even perhaps leaving the country because of the increase in tensions that are going on.
“If they want to fly it on their own property, fair enough, I don’t have a problem with that, but imposing those flags on the community is not something that we’re going to stand for.”
Ms Williams told the BBC that she plans to stand as an independent candidate for Moseley in the May city council elections. She is a member of the Socialist Workers Party and of Stand Up to Racism, the Stop the War Coalition, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Racism, poverty, war, the situation in Palestine, and global access to clean water are all issues she feels strongly about, she shares on her campagin website.
Williams claimed that rising national tensions had left some residents uneasy, and that prominent flag displays in shared public spaces risked deepening divides. She added that she had no objection to people flying the national flag on their own property, but opposed what she described as imposing it on the wider community.
Moseley, home to around 21,000 people, has a diverse population and a long-standing reputation for civic activism. Residents have previously campaigned on local development issues as well as national political causes.
A large Palestinian flag flies above the Cafephilia coffee shop and has not been subject to organised efforts to take it down. The banner has become a visible expression of pro-Palestinian sentiment among some in the neighbourhood.
Raise the Colours has built a substantial following on social media and has been active in several towns and cities. Similar disputes over flags occurred last year in nearby Stirchley, where some residents and business owners also chose to remove them.
West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council are understood to be monitoring the situation in Moseley.
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson previously told BirminghamLive: “We are aware of concerns raised by residents in Moseley about unauthorised flags being attached to street furniture.
“We are working closely with West Midlands Police following recent discussions on how best to manage these incidents safely and appropriately. The council’s position is clear, attaching items such as flags to lamp columns, signs or other public infrastructure is not permitted and these will be removed in line with our Unauthorised Attachments Policy.
“People are free to fly or hang flags from their homes or gardens, but we ask that they are not attached or added to street furniture. We must also consider the safety of residents, staff and contractors when planning removals, as previous attempts in some areas have been met with confrontation.
“We continue to monitor locations across the city where community concerns are being reported and will prioritise removals where there are health and safety issues or a significant impact on local communities. We proudly fly the Union Flag outside the Council House every day and recognise the importance of that and the Flag of St George as symbols of national pride.
“Brummies are proud to be British and proud that this is a welcoming city celebrating many different cultures.”
