A Labour-run council has sparked a major backlash by tearing down St George’s and Union Jack flags from streets because they ‘could put lives at risk’.
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’.
They first appeared in Weoley Castle before spreading across to areas including Bartley Green, Selly Oak and Frankley Great Park.
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.’
But the row has further deepened after Birmingham City Council confirmed it will begin ripping flags down from the lampposts, saying the extra weight could ‘potentially lead to collapse’ in the future.
The Labour-run council – which is already under-fire over its handling of the bin strikes – also claimed those attaching flags ‘could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk’ despite being up to 25ft 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.
A group of ‘proud English men’ have defiantly hit back at accusations they are racist after lining their streets with Union Jack flags. Pictured: Union Jack and St George’s flags in Weoley Castle
The patriotism has also led to accusations that those responsible are looking to stir up division between white British residents and other communities in the area. Pictured: Flags seen in Weoley Castle
It comes amid rising tensions in Britain, with dozens of demonstrations held outside asylum seeker hotels in recent weeks. Pictured: Protesters outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex last week
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 comes amid rising tensions in Britain, with dozens of demonstrations held outside asylum seeker hotels in recent weeks as frustration grows over the Government’s handling of the small boat crisis.
‘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, leading to huge numbers of activists at demonstrations across the country.
The latest move to put up flags across Birmingham has sparked a fresh debate, with many residents expressing support by putting up their own or asking for their streets to be adorned next.
‘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.
But the patriotism has also led to accusations that those responsible are looking to stir up division between white British residents and other communities in the area.
Northfield is expected 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.
St George’s and Union Jack flags tied to lamp posts around Weoley Castle
St George’s flags line the streets of Weoley Castle. They have been put up by a group of ‘proud English men’
‘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 people are ‘sick of having to apologise for being British’ and insisted there was ‘nothing political about it’.
She rejected 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 proud of England? It’s the country we live in. Those who have issue with it should leave England and go 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 facing huge pressure 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 resolution in sight after more than six months.
It has led to residents living around the stench of rotting waste and rats feasting on litter.
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 have called on the mistress to publicly apologise
Courtney Wright, 12, was forced to spend a morning in isolation 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 planned to talk about history and traditions in a talk she had prepared, was told the dress was unacceptable, removed from her lesson and left to wait into the school reception until her dad arrived from work to collect her.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared to support Courtney’s choice of dress 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’.
