Neighbour has put up huge Unite the Kingdom flag

[UrticaDioca]

I am gutted. I haven't seen a single flag in my town, and suddenly this union jack goes up two doors over with the words 'Unite the Kingdom' printed on it in capital letters. The flag is huge and flying from a pole on top of their shed, but it's in their own garden so nothing can be done.

I am the daughter of an immigrant mother and therefore mixed race. Now I have to see this fucking flag waving at me every time I look out of my kitchen or living room windows.

The campaign has been very useful in outing racist neighbours who can now be shunned

I do not have a chip thanks. I was making your exact point in fact.

It's England. If you're offended by the flag, maybe North Korea would suit you better.

People can fly any flags that they want in their homes and gardens.

But if people choose to fly a rainbow flag, I will make certain assumptions about their attitudes towards homosexuality.

Similarly, if people choose to fly a union jack flag with a racist campaign slogan on it, I will make certain assumptions about their attitudes towards race.

Why don’t you a) tell your neighbour how you feel, b) fly a flag of your own choosing from your garden, or c) accept it and do nothing.

One rather suspects you will select c).

Haha yes, good thought on not taking in parcels. That shall be my valiant stand of defiance against my racist neighbours. That will absolutely show them.

Ah yes, North Korea, a country famous for never displaying any flags.

You missed the bit where she said much like her own DP. Pure oversight on your part, I’m sure.

A house I pass on my way to work fly a pirate flag.

By all means shun them.

They have a vote however, so Labour cannot afford to ‘shun’ them. Like it or not, they are pulling politicians apart.

The uncontrolled migration is the cover they use for what is essentially their existing racism. They’ll reel more people in that way.

A Union flag with ‘unite the kingdom’ on is very much going to be referring to TR’s campaign and is more likely to be straight up racism than any genuine concern about uncontrolled immigration.

Thank you. Rising above a 20ft flag pole does certainly sound like something that is worth aspiring towards, difficult as it may be.

I'm so sorry your neighbours are racist. We have racist neighbours too and we just put hope not hate and stand up to racism posters up, but I guess they might escalate. People who believe in Stephen yaxley Lennon and Nigel Farages nonsense likely had a difficult early life, difficulty in relationships and potentially weren't taught critical thinking skills. Quite a high proportion of people attending far right demos are also domestic abuse perpetrators so many of those were likely boys who grew up in abusive households themselves. It's easier to hate and blame others than make positive changes.

If someone flew a rainbow flag would you make the assumption that while being supportive of people who are 'non-hetero-normative' they are also the sort of people who screech bile into the faces of gender critical women, get them fired from their jobs and make violent threats to kill and rape women who publicly campaign against allowing people with penises into women only spaces and women only sports? The more deranged and abusive and offensive element of the trans rights activism movement?

Would you make that assumption about everyone sporting a rainbow? A simple yes or no will suffice.

I follow you well.
There does seem to be an insidious cancer of performative words or actions looking down on others as if they are the problem….of course conveniently ignoring the fact that they themselves are a problem.

Aren't you British then?

Indeed, politicians should not be normalising xenophobia

OP I think you have every right to want to vent about this flag, which is of-bloody-course a racist dogwhistle. I'm sorry this is happening. Your neighbours must have seen you about, and if they've got half a brain they should realise that you're bound to be made uncomfortable.

I was an immigrant to the UK (left after the Brexit vote) and even being white it felt increasingly like hard work in the run-up to the referendum. To be clear, most people were OK throughout, but there was a gradual rise in incidents when people responded negatively to my accent. It must be way worse to get that kind of response even before you open your mouth, just b/o appearance.

No clever advice, sorry. I hope you have good friends to keep your spirits up with all that's going on.

You could well be right. There are quite a few in my area dotted about in windows etc, mainly the st George one. I kind of try and just ignore it.

I'd be tempted to put up a flag pole and fly a large pair of knickers to that!

God I hate the faux naivety this topic evokes. Of COURSE only racists fly that particular flag. I’m sorry you have to deal with it,@UrticaDioca

Me too!

Makes me laugh every time I see it!

Quite a high proportion of people attending far right demos are also domestic abuse perpetrators

Really?? A high proportion of all the people there? Including the women?

I don’t follow politics. No idea who Tommy Robinson is.
all my grandparents were immigrants.
I grew up in an area where some had the flag, not common but some. Was never a problem. I don’t take offence to the flag, and I find it insulting that the flag has become a racist symbol. What a shame!
i get that I’m missing the political side, but why does every single time anyone see a flag mean it’s racist? Certainly don’t confront them. That’s absurd. What exactly would you say “I don’t want you waving the national flag on your private property”? Whether or not it’s racist, that’s a ridiculous demand to make of a neighbour.

The flag waving everywhere, is in protest to the large number of illegal immigrants, that are turning up every day on our shores - 1000 a day just now. These are men with no ID, from countries where rape is not a crime.

It is not racist to be opposed to this. If you tried to walk through Heathrow without your passport, you, a British citizen, would be denied entry. And yet here we are, welcoming 1000's of men and placing them in hotels, in the middle of communities and it has had negative repercussions - for example, school girls being followed by foreign men, and in some cases there have been sexual assaults. People are angry. They didn't sign up to this. It's not racist to not want this. I wish people would stop spouting such bollocks.