Rip the flags down! A call for action!

BAHAHHAHHAHAHHAAAAAA

But even if that is a fact, let’s say that it is, it doesn’t necessarily follow that everyone hanging a flag is a far right racist, does it?

HAHAHAHA!

How embarrassing!! They look ridiculous!

The opinions it expresses may be. Most things are. But at the core is the fact that 2 men known for far right, extremist, racist views started the idea going. That’s not opinion. It’s fact. And that’s what I’m basing my opinion on. The facts.

@cardibach yeah you lost me with that link. Totally biased.

@WhereIsMyJumper thats a lot of separate rants. You can’t just fly a Palestinian flag from a lamppost. You can fly one on your own property, just as you can fly an England flag. Flying them in public places has been kicked off by racists. I’ll add Hope not Hate’s account - you may think they are biased, but the people who started it are definitely racist and it’s definitely with racist intent. If those jumping on the bandwagon haven’t looked into why they are suddenly doing it, then it doesn’t say a lot about their intelligence or general awareness even if they aren’t actually racist themselves. But I suspect the vast majority are, otherwise why suddenly start doing this? There are more constructive ways to show pride in your country or community.
hopenothate.org.uk/2025/08/22/operation-raise-the-colours-organised-by-well-known-far-right-extremists/

It’s difficult to find, in their own words, why people are part of operation raise the colours because I can only find media outlets reporting on it and each will give it a biased spin.

But from what I can tell, it’s about how we can fly a Palestine flag with no repercussions but not a British/English one
Its about being proud of the nation of which you are a citizen, regardless of your heritage
It is about concerns about immigration.

When considering the nuance, absolutely none of the above is inherently racist. People are deciding for themselves it is racist, and then getting offended, and then insulting people who are flying flags or ripping them down or painting over them or whatever saying they are ‘standing up to racism’ when THEY are the ones who have decided it’s racist in the first place. It’s honestly fucking ridiculous.

And… There is no incitement to stand up to! Hanging flags literally isn’t harming anyone. Removing them or calling people who are hanging them thick and racist just perpetuates this ridiculous culture war!

You are making out that you completely understand the primary motivation behind every person hanging a flag. You want to brand them racists because it makes you feel superior. But you are wrong.
Im not hanging flags myself, i have better things to do. But the people I know who are are intelligent and tolerant people who want to show pride in their nation - which includes how tolerant we are. Sorry that doesn’t fit your narrative of them all being thick and racist but it’s the truth. I support their right to show pride in their nation over trying to protect you from being offended, quite frankly.

People are doing it because of the ‘Raise the Colours’ nonsense which was started and publicised by racists. I’m not imbuing arbitrary meaning. I’m accepting the meaning the people doing it have told me.
Whats ‘my ilk’ anyway, in your opinion? Would that be an arbitrary guess at something about me? And read my post. I said it was also vandalism to paint peace signs etc. and that isn’t the best response.
If we ignore this, at what point so we stand up to racism and incitement, in your opinion?

That is my understanding of why it is being done and here we are, imbuing arbitrary meaning to it. Your ilk are saying it’s ’definitely’ racism and therefore we should cover it over with more vandalism. Can’t you see the double standard?

And as for ‘what are people meant to do’
Well, just ignore it! It’s not hard!

I can assure you that only one of us is climbing lampposts and running around neighbourhoods tearing down flags and then coming on here to tell people.

And it ain’t me.

Because @Ilovemychocolate is all about performative Anti-Racism not actual Anti-Racism.

Anti-Racists don't risk the wellbeing of minorities for their cause.

Half mast - the men putting them up are not allowed to use ladders as they failed the training course.

@FreezeDriedStrawberries it's the half mast thing that gets me too. Very disrespectful to our Red Roses rugby players. 😉

No, that'd be wrong to hang from lampposts and deface roundabouts with as well. Surely they're a safety hazard as well tied near roads by amateurs.
Oh and why are they all hanging at half mast? They just look like someone's died. 😕

@Ilovemychocolate Thank you. 🙌🏽

The few I have seen have not been easily accessible, but if they were, I would rip them down too.

Yes. Slightly. Centrist doesn’t mean slap bang on the centre. Centrist parties lean slightly one way or the other. One Nation Tories were slightly right centrists. The current Labour Party is slightly left leaning - but not much. And in some areas at least as far to the right as One Nation Tories like Major were.

No, that’s not why they are going up and you know it.
I said the further painting is also vandalism - but when one lot is done, how should people respond? Maybe painting it back white would have been better.

Of course we can, they're the accepted, right-on flags, in the same way that there are accepted forms of racism.

It's people like the OP who are the recruiting sergeants for Reform and if they get more seats the OP will be in the vanguard of the critics. Nigel loves you!

Why haven’t you replied to this post, OP? Your actions could have negative consequences for the non white people whom you claim to care so much about.

I agree with you about the current obsession with the St George’s flag being connected to the far right, but your well meaning actions could have unintended consequences. You should think about that.

You would be better served channelling your energy and activism into causes with more direct impact and need

You're right of course, @Corcaigher, but while we can't know if this applies to OP my general experience is that some much prefer "gestures" to actually doing the hard graft ... and those gestures are invariably linked to whatever's deemed fashionable on social media and lends itself to images on their feed

Shame really, because those actually involved in the ongoing work could do with more support from the supposedly committed - except that oncee the headlines have moved on to something else they're often nowhere to be seen