To think Operation Raise The Colours would, rightly or wrongly, have been far less controversial if it had mostly involved the Union flag rather than the St George's flag?

[Jane379]

I think the St George's flag should be reclaimed fully from the racist groups just as the Union flag was back in the 90s (remember, for instance, Geri Halliwell's dress had a peace sign drawn on the back to avoid NF associations) But I don't think that has been achieved at the moment, arguably, and while it would be much better if it could be raised with no more issue than the Welsh dragon or saltire, that isn't the current case.
The Union flag being raised would have been very different imo, and caused far less controversy. The associations of that have positive links to fairly recent history too : the Cool Britannia era, then the Jubilees.

I do like this Kathleen Stock article though.

https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/we-reclaimed-the-union-jack-now-for-st-george-vvvkscg5x

It's the very definite link between Operation Raise the flag and racist, xenophobic bigots that people take issue with.

I also think that in a sense, the English reluctance to fly the St George's flag seems bigger than it is due to the amount of flag waving in Scotland, Wales & ROI. Obviously this is partly from the context (especially in Scotland & ROI) where there's been perceived historical need to assert national identity as distinct from English. England hasn't had that need so arguably that' part of the reason why flag waving has often been less of a thing here.

It's notable also that there was recent controversy over the saltire for various reasons.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyxqknx7jqo

I think some people just wanted to be able to fly the England flag though. That shouldn't be hostile by default.

It could be hoisting flipping duvet covers, for all it matters. The key individuals and organisations behind it had both overt and covert racist aims, dressed up as 'cheery patriotism'. It can be 'reclaimed' in other ways - hopefully when the short attention spans of the fascist fuckwits get distracted by something else
😀

Well, it's the bigots that have spoiled that one then - pissing on their own doorsteps.

But if the England Flag is ‘reclaimed’ it will make virtual signalling more difficult and may even require some thought processes.

Some people did use the Saltire "aggressively" (if people think waving it in our faces and saying you're not welcome here is aggressive) last time I was in Scotland, but it was just one couple who appeared drunk, and I have no issue with Scottish people waving their flags. I was with a white English person, on a trip.
Funnily enough, I did live in Scotland at one time and most of the UK side of my family are Scottish! But I wasn't going to point that out to them.

Exactly

No. It doesn’t really matter what flag they are raising. In Ireland we had Irish flags being raised on lampposts which was prompted by the St George’s flag campaign. The Irish flag is a symbol of unity and peace but in this case it was being raised for racist reasons.

At anti racist solidarity marches in response the Irish flag was raised as the symbol of peace and unity.

i was born in Northern Ireland where flags are almost always controversial.

It’s not the specific flag, it’s who’s raising it and the context that it’s being raised in.

Probably some people really just quite like the symmetry of the swastika too

Did they specifically only put that up?

We've got both round my way

Billy Allison, one of the founders of raise the colours, has been charged with murder

What flag waving in ROI? Are you mixing up the Republic of Ireland with Northern Ireland? Or why are you comparing an independent country with two constituent countries of the UK? Because that doesn't really work. There's been an attempt by anti-immigrants to use the Irish flag on the same way as they have in England, but thankfully it hasn't taken off nearly as much.

Come on, the St George's flag is not the Nazi swastika!

I think it would have been more palatable were it not spearheaded by Stephen-illegal-immigrant-himself-ironically-Yaxley-Lennon - alias Tommy Robinson, who has been convicted of being a violent thug, along with many of his colleagues and right hand man. He's a fucking coward, so is rarely in the country - instead using his EU passport to live away from his consequences. I guess the flags remind me too much of the time last year that a large group of thugs that tried to burn down a hotel full of people.

I like the flags during the footy though. It's not the flags that are the problem. It's the sentiment.

You need to look up the history of the swastika - it’s been used for thousands of years.

It’s not what the symbol/flag is, it’s whose using it and why.

Exactly

It would have been a lot less controversial if it had not been run by a bunch of right wing thugs who felt the need to hide their faces whilst being patriots.

Also their ringleader is on trial for murder.

https://www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/raise-the-colours-founder-charged-with-murder/

These cunts are not patriots. Imagine if all that flag money went towards local charities ? It's a shame these hooligans didn't.

It wouldn't matter what flag they raised - their aim was to intimidate people and make people think that racists were the majority. And as previous posters have said their founder has been charged with murder.
This was a far right racist campaign - and changing flags wouldn't stop it being so.

That Ryan Bridge from Raise the Colours is a vile rat faced moron. I had a run in with him at the primary school both of our kids attended around ten years ago, horrible horrible man. Swanned around thinking he was the bees knees, churning up the school field in his 4x4 cos there was nowhere to park.

I’d love to reply on the Facebook pages about him and what he’s really like but it’s pointless, he’s seen as some kind of hero and I couldn’t be doing with the pile-on.

Nothing against the flag (and flying it) at all but it’s exactly his type that has caused all of this hostility.

Flag flyers outside of sport are just a problem. It’s like having the public space controlled.

If they want to fly flags they can put them up on their own homes. Not litter the streets with them.
I went round picking up their dropped cable ties and plastic wrapping the other week, the thickies who claim to love the UK can't even be bothered to pick up their own rubbish.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-barman-applauded-raise-colours-34020941