to be seriously concerned about the illegal surveillance cameras and flags on lamp posts?

[Kije]

That's it, really. I live in a semi-rural area. No racial tensions locally, that I'm aware of, at all. The local small market town and surrounding roads are covered, and I do mean covered, in illegally posted flags, all over lamp posts - sometimes three deep. They come down (the local council sometimes stirs themselves to take them down) and are replaced within a few hours. It's been like this since late last summer.

And now the same charming people who are trying to intimidate what they like to call 'pathetic lefties' have put up dozens of surveillance cameras on the same lamp posts, aimed in all directions in a clear attempt to intimidate local people who'd like to take the flags down. The mob who do the flags have said on their own FB site, it's to 'protect their property' (eg the flags they've illegally stuck up lamp posts, it's essentially littering). The obvious take-home is, they think this is their town and they aim to create a chilling effect for anyone who dares to discuss this on local social media, or take the flags down again.

The flags are illegal: the cameras doubly so, I'd have thought, given privacy laws?? Or at least, I'm assuming surveillance cameras mounted on public property and aimed at pedestrians and drivers have to be done by a legitimate authority.

I look at what was happening in Belfast (and elsewhere) last night and honestly, I'm terrified for our country. We seem to be sliding into lawlessness and vigilantism, and blatant intimidation of anyone who speaks out against it.

There is an area like this near me. Covered in flags. It is intimidating.

Anyone is not white looks very uncomfortable. That is the point.

You are absolutely right

Probably one for pedants' corner, but the UK flag is not called the Union Jack. It's the Union Flag, and only called the Union Jack when it's flown on a boat or ship.

(It's called the Jack on ships because on sailing ships it was flown from the jackstay, the rope or cable that runs from the top of the mast to the aft deck, ie the deck at the rear of the ship.)

Good idea. Get a few of you together, put a balaclava on, ( one each, not one giant communal one ) get some paint in a spray can and a ladder and spray the nasty things to oblivion. Do it at night. I'm serious. If they can put up repeat flags, you can repeatedly spray their stupid cameras.

During either the Euros or the World Cup back in the 90s, an Italian friend of mine used to piss herself laughing about England fans who were so dim that they didn't even know what the England flag looked like.

one each, not one giant communal one

This gave me a much needed laugh 😁

Where I live there have been lots of Gaza flags for almost 2 years. I don't like them but no flag in itself is intimidating. There have been pride flags too. It's just a flag, get over it.

That sounds really grim, @Flev. I totally get how intimidating that must feel.

Afaik, the nearest asylum seeker accommodation to me is 20 miles away, and it's on the outskirts of a "naice" rural town, so they only tend to get angry arseholes turning up when there's an organised march or demo.

I was somewhat😮when the local police and crime commissioner rocked up one of the anti-asylum seeker protest marches. I really didn't think that was appropriate.

YABVU
We need cameras to catch criminals.

Heaven forbid but if someone was attacked or murdered in your family, surely you would want the police to use cameras as an aid to catch the perpetrator(s).

I can’t speak for flags thank god we don’t have any in my county.

Do you know much about Raise the Colours, the organisation behind the stringing up of flags? They are not good people and their intentions are malignant.

😂I know. Can you imagine them.all shuffling along together under one big one..

I assume that message was aimed at @Corianda who I was quoting and not me.

To make it easier to understand for those who don't see the difference between the Union Flag and the England Flag (aka cross of St George who was not English) i have referred to it as the Union Jack. You are of course correct.

I haven’t, but there is very little evidence for OP and PPs rather hyperbolic postulating - which is mostly extrapolation, and the most reasonable explanation isn’t that vast swathes of England have suddenly become howling racists, but actually have valid concerns about immigration and social changes.

You’re calling it ‘racist’ protests but that is your inference as protecting against a lack of immigration controls is inherently racist.

I mean, it was reported on the BBC last night that we gave a growing problem of violence from men coming here from countries like Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia where horrendous violence is endemic. Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has said that migration is a threat to national security.

Tell me again how setting fire to houses and cars helps the debate.

As we seem to have plenty of home grown violent men, we don’t need any more even MORE violent men from countries that normalise treating women even worse . Do we?

I'd be disturbed by this. Not the so much the actual flags, though I'm not a fan, but the cameras are way OTT.

I'd feel like wearing a balaclava at night and going round spraying the camera or taking it down. Not that Im physicslly capable of such things. But I guess that's just pandering to this invisible war they think they're fighting.

Ah, I see. So... educate me, why are the 'protests' only focused on the extra numbers instead of the core? Because gosh, you know, thinking about it, it's almost as though violence against women isn't the point... 🤔

Immigration has come down because now Labour are just waving them all through. They say less immigrant hotels, that's also true because now they are putting them in our community in HMO's. The problem has not reduced or gone away it's just been shuffled into communities.

I didn’t say it did 🤷‍♀️ but this thread is about people having a major issue with the most peaceful form of protest available. Silently flying flags.

The Raise the Colours movement is not peaceful.

https://metro.co.uk/2026/05/28/raise-colours-founder-billy-allison-charged-murder-bar-owner-28555599/

https://inews.co.uk/news/raise-the-colours-extremism-vigilantes-leave-4454270

I think a protest that has Tommy Robinson as an invited speaker is a racist protest. Not everyone joining the protest will have the same views but surely they must take responsibility for the platform they give to his views and for the fear the protest (rally?) engenders in people who are trying to go about their normal business.

I'm fed up of being told that condemning racist rallies is some kind of tone deaf marginal position that isn't as valid as your oh so tolerant (of inciting racial hatred) one. I have a voice too and am allowed to call it out.

I think Jonathan Hall was probably pointing out that migration as national security issue was not solely to do with individuals entering the country but the far right response which is riot and potential incitement to violence or terrorism.

This is the frightening part. Riots are one thing. He is pointing out the domestic terrorism that may occur by extreme groups in the UK based on migration which may be coming.

Riots burn houses. Terrorism bombs people out of them. Frightening

There have been many attempts to raise the issue of VWAG in many spheres but you clearly haven’t registered those. Feel free to organise your own.

One man is not a ‘movement’.

‘Raise the Flags’ are not directly responsible for all the flags being raised.