Are there English flags out near you?

[olderandnonthewiser]

Left the North East this morning and saw a few, lots on the motorway bridges and our local fb page is full of them.

Do You think the evil people who are thick racists are fearful? I wonder if it’s possible?

Two union flags were hung on the motorway bridge near my house. And happily someone else has since cut them down

That's interesting. I'm in West Northumberland and haven't seen any. We are pretty rural though and I don't think our nearest local town has seen any protests. To be fair I certainly wouldn't describe our area as multi-cultural. We have quite a lot of Ukranians settled here but then I suppose they are seen as "the right kind of foreigners".

This whole anti-immigration thing is getting really out of hand and is being inflamed by the tabloid press and agitators. I really believe most people don't share their sentiments.

National Pride would be fine .

However these flags are mostly being hung by racist idiots. The ones in London are being hung by masked men.

If you are genuinely trying to promote pride and a happy welcoming country you wouldn't need to be masked.

There are some on the bridges that cross the dual carriageway near me but I haven’t seen any on lampposts or houses (south east London).

Yes and it's fabulous! On buildings. There's bunting in our little Georgian town and the odd roundabout has been painted.

Oh, those fabulous, German Georgians.

Union jacks, but they've been up as long as I remember. Someone's done all the mini roundabouts though.

Yes and I find it very grim. There are crosses painted on the mini islands too. I live nearish where it started.

The roundabout thing is thick as anything. Anyone who supports vandalising public property for any reason needs to give their head a wobble. I hate the flag flying because it has nothing to do with national pride, that much has been made abundantly clear, but if people want to hang flags on their properties and pretend they are patriotic and rejoice in making minorities feel vulnerable and scared then I suppose that is their right (gross as it is). However, how fucking dare anyone think it is their right to spread their vile messages by vandalising things and hanging flags on things that don't belong to them.

I wish there was a way of being able to show those being persecuted that way it is only a minority view while not at the same time feeding the idiots!

I don’t think anyone would disagree that the current system isn’t working but the answer isn’t to persecute those stuck in that system but to find a way to make it work so those who have a legitimate claim for asylum can find work and build their lives rather than trying to survive on £9 a week (if in a hotel)

It’s a terrible shame that there are idiots, isn’t it? How awful they are. Uniformly awful people, droves of them, gaining in numbers and vocality, yet just a tiny minority really, while the better people outnumber them. What a situation, eh.

Loads of welsh flags. But they’re always out here.

It shouldn’t be headline news. It’s just fuelling it.

Yes, 3 mini roundabouts painted on my corner of North London. I hate it, it's racism disguised as patriotism.

And how does the fact they are in England make vandalism and graffiti ok?

Best comment on thread!

‘They’re in England’

What a short sighted comment.

It can change overnight. England isn’t the safe cosy country it used to be. It’s full of division, bile and hatred.

Read the room.

So go on then—tell us, clearly and in precise detail, what exactly you’re concerned about. How, in your view, does the patriotic display of a nation’s flag become a stepping stone to full-blown fascism? Seems like a stretch.

How can you justify comparing a centuries old flag that represents a nation's history and identity, with another that represents supremacist, totalitarian, genocidal ideology?

Show us your evidence for making this bold claim, please.

And why is the UK seemingly unique in this concern? Yes, far-right fringes in every country have a tendency to wrap
themselves in the national flag, that's not unique to Britain. But are you equally alarmed when the French tricolour flies proudly in Paris? Do you worry that the Irish are teetering on the edge of fascism when their flag is displayed in their country? What about the Portuguese in Lisbon? Also so on.

Or is it only when the English display their national symbols that such expressions are treated with suspicion, even hostility? If that's the case, then the issue isn't really about the flag itself, but rather a deeper discomfort with British identity, and perhaps a double standard in how patriotism is viewed in this country compared to others.

We have a few on the main road and on the pelican crossings. I think it’s brilliant that we’re trying to take back the flag from the racism and football hooliganism with which it’s normally associated as it’s become an awful symbol of aggression and hate. It’s great that we’re finally celebrating women’s rugby with the pride our team deserves and it’s great the men have got behind it as many of them were bloody rude about women’s football in spite of our huge success.

The flags here remind me of the union flag flying throughout Northern Ireland during the 12th weekend when the ‘loyalists’ burn pallets with ‘nationalist’ effigies on them to ‘Celebrate Their Culture’ and belonging to a nation that couldn’t give a flying fuck about them.

If you don't understand why people are comparing to Nazism then read this:

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-rise-to-power

You may still disagree that the St George's flag painting/hanging is akin to Nazism but it is clear that there are distinct similarities between what is happening in this country culturally and politically right now and the origins of Nazi Germany. How the Nazis changed tactics to appear legitimate and decent is so similar to a lot of right wing/Reform tactics that have happened in recent history. Hopefully it will never progress to Nazi territory but it does scare me.

Loads on the motorway bridges on our drive to Kent - England and Union Jack. Def nothing to do with ladies rugby. Seems v passive aggressive to me it didn’t make me feel proud of those flags

Just stop.