Police are expected to be present as contractors remove several St George’s flags placed on lamp posts along the A259 coast road from Peacehaven to Brighton.
The move follows reports that the contractors faced abuse as they took down the flags on the instructions of Brighton and Hove City Council.
The flags were put in place yesterday (Thursday 21 August), many of them in Saltdean and Rottingdean.
Someone filmed those putting up the flags and posted the footage on the Brighton Reform Facebook page.
They are believed to have been put up by people responding to a social media campaign called Operation Raise the Colours.
One commenter said: “The lefty liberals of Brighton will have a heart attack.”
Another said: “Give it a year and after Brighton council makes Brighton the dumping ground for illegal immigrant hotels and housing, even the lefties will be raising a flag.”
Yesterday, the council said that it would not be challenging the use of hotels in the city to house asylum-seekers despite a successful court case by Epping Council to stop the use of a hotel there for people claiming asylum.
Today, the council said: “We have been made aware of flags being displayed on some of our highways.
“These have not been authorised and, as such, will be removed in line with the 1980 Highways Act.”
Some of the flags were being removed today by contractors working on behalf of the council.
But the contractors reported facing abuse, according to Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh, in a Facebook post.
Councillor Fishleigh, who represents Rottingdean and West Saltdean, said: “BHCC has advised that it has been making steady progress with the removal of the St George’s flags. However, some people have put up new ones.
“The contractors have faced verbal abuse while attempting to remove flags in certain locations. As a result, they have had to cease work in those areas.
“The contractors are unwilling to proceed with further removals unless police are present to ensure the safety of their staff.
“Sussex Police has confirmed that it will not have the resources available to support this work until next week.”
I’ve never understood ‘lefty liberal’ as an insult. It’s just a vague sneer that doesn’t mean anything, especially on immigration, where it’s easier to shout labels than deal with actual policy. I’ve heard some solid arguments for and against immigration from right-leaning individuals, and the same from left-leaning individuals.
The BHCC attack poodle is up early!
I actually find Benjamin a reliable check and balance to much of the political ignorance that is posted. Let’s face it Jane, your haste to attack others speaks more about your inability to debate or fear that you might just be wrong. Maybe at some point in the years to come you will make peace with that.
Yes, deploying the classic trope of “I don’t understand”. Anyone who thinks there are equal pros and cons to over a million people coming to our country every year needs professional help.
I was talking about the insult being used that doesn’t actually make sense, Peter.
But I’m glad you’ve chipped in, because it’s an excellent example of my point; when someone can’t engage with nuance or an argument of substance, the fallback is insults. Reduce complex issues to bigoted, and often incorrect, soundbites, then sneer at anyone trying to treat the subject seriously.
For example, you claim a million people are illegally coming over; last year’s data from ONS was approximately 44,000 – not even close. You claim I said there are equal pros and cons – I did not. Then you resort to ad hominem, rather than laying a foundation for your viewpoint. If your argument were strong, it wouldn’t need to rely on exaggeration, misrepresentation, and insults to carry it.
Lefty liberals are anything but liberal. They attack anyone who does not agree their woke ideology and Brighton Council is full of them. They are precisely the types they complain of, bigoted morons who expect others to agree with all their woke nonsense.
Perfect example of how nuance gets ignored. Plenty of nuance in politically standpoints, both left and right. Otherwise, you could argue what is the point of Reform when you’ve already got Conservatives, as they are both right-wing.
Its a country wide thing to say we love our country as lets face it our PM does not. I’m GAY look around the Brighton center still has the Pride flag on, Pride flags are all over the place so why is the council bothered about our countries flags. Leave them alone. I have loads of flags if the council starts to remove the ones up, i might just join in and put mine up.
It’s more to do with their location and how permission needs to be sought. There’s no drama beyond that. In my opinion, it just appears performative to claim victimisation to appeal to those who don’t know better.
Unfortunately, some of the comments on here indicate they are being successful in their manipulation.
Its hilarious that some burly construction workers are frightened by hurty words and femanding police protection:)
Barry, mocking people for reporting threats isn’t a good look for you. Abuse and intimidation are illegal, for one, and also, these people are just doing a job.
Take them down ,couldnt care less one way or other.
Its against the bye laws. But take all the rest down.
Dont know why the alphabet mob still need to bang on about themselves,especially in Brighton whete no one gives a toss what you are.
These flags are not put up to make people feel safe, like the Pride flag is. These flags are put up to spread fear and intimidate. They are a calling card of racists.
They are put up by the same sort of people who absolutely would endanger the LGBTQIA community.
It’s not about the flags, it’s about what they represent. ( and the fact they have not kept to their own property where it is perfe tly legal and fine to have flagss, these have been put up on public property)
The nationalism is deeply right wing and dangerous. The people they currently are hating on, asylum seekers (not immigrants, These people are refugees, they get one shittly room, and a piss poor allowance to live on. If the UK hadn’t spent so many years not just doing wars but also financial and economic imperialism across the globe, these people’s countries wouldn’t be so unsafe, you don’t need to drop a bomb to destroy the future of an economy etc) people who have nothing. They say thay are “protecting women and childen” except I’ve never been harmed by a foriegn person, only white British men. The vast majority of violent and sexual crimes are committed by white British men. What it really is is hate and fear. They hate and fear asylum seekers because deep down, they are afraid that everyone will see how useless they are, they fear being “replaced” because they know full well that society has no use for them. They are desperately looking for ways to feel useful and ‘masculine’ and being undereducated, they have arrived at attacking vulnerable groups.
Karla is lying. The only logical reason that someone would be offended by a st Georges flag is that they are xenophobic. The St Georges flag is a symbol that has united the ethnic and cultural people of England for almost 1500 years, millions of people. To suggest it should be hidden because 0.001% of people from that 1500 year cohort, might use it as a symbol of hate is insane. I would suggest Karla is xenophobic and simply hates a group (maybe self hates) that have lived here and are the majority for centuries. There is no far right, its a pun leftist’s use to scare their supporters from thinking for themselves. What there is are millions of people who feel british and english who are sick of doing all the work, paying all the taxes, for a government to represent global interests instead of the nation state and its peole. And the silent majority who are forced under the LGBT category are not fearful its a lie. Kalra suffers from Patheticism= blame all others for their problems and not their own actions and warped perceptions. I’m a Migrant and love the flags of the UK fly them high
“There is no far right”
Why post if you won’t engage in reality?
Born in Brighton, union jacks all day long, don’t see enough of them.
However st George’s cross no thanks, it’s the flag of the racists and far right, which is a real shame. But that’s what happens when dumb people want to blame others for their rubbish lives due to dumb life choices.
I have a union flag on my property, to say that the flag represents hate and racism is beyond ridiculous. You have no right to tar everyone with the same brush. How about taking pride in your country and recognising that many young male illegal immigrants might, just might be another Manchester bomber. Why put our country at risk. You need to wake up and realise where this country could be heading if illegal immigration isn’t brought under control
Karla
This flag IS our country’s flag. It’s people like you that read more into it making you just as bad as the people you claim they represent.
People have a valid concern about thousands of people coming to this country we know nothing about. Not everyone putting up this flag far right . Maybe if people met in the middle and came and tried to come up with a solution rather than name calling . We might get an agreement.
100% agree Karla, also with the council and police both apparently being cash strapped I don’t think prioritising the removal of these flags is the best use of their resources.
Since it is a legal issue, they don’t have a choice but to comply, Dan. I agree it’s a waste of resources, though.
The English flag, St George’s Cross, represents peace, unity and freedom.
How you speak is of that of someone stuck in the past. If that is the case, then Germans are still Nazis, France is still imperialistic, Italy also fascist, Palestine beheaders and savages.
To be English, to raise the English flag is to be proud to live in a free law abiding country and to be at one with the fashions and traditions of the country. Not otherwise.
What you have said is venomous, and hateful to me, especially white men. Shall I proceed to call you a racist? That would fit the left protocol wouldn’t it? Or do you also believe racism is for everyone but white people?
The people you speak of are concerned or rightly afraid of illegal immigrants (mainly men) and want reduced immigration. This is rational and sensible.
Well if a German was flying the old swastika then maybe but no unfortunately I think you need to read a history book lol st George’s cross was usually a sign for people in other countries to run lol
What a load of rubbish.
You seem to be stereotyping people who put up st georges cross flags.
When these flags are put on lampposts at night and in the wind they could affect the street lighting and affect drivers ability to drive safely. This current fad of putting up St George’s flags and union flags is coming from the far right. If Farage and his cronies ever control this country Gay rights WILL stop just like in Hungary. God help us all I will be one of the first to try and get out. Sorry I forgot, its going to be a lot more difficult thanks to Farage and Brexit.
If a flag on a lamp post affects your ability to drive you shouldn’t be on the road. You’re lying about street lighting being affected and to suggest that the far right put up the flags. You’ve got to do better.
Sorry, Charlie, you are demonstrably incorrect. The Highways Code and council regulations are clear that attachments to lampposts can obstruct lighting and pose risks. And yes, the far right has used these flag displays as a political tool; that’s well documented.
Dont talk wet
I wonder if the company producing the flags is the same one that supplies the Gazan one ?
All from China…
A guide to flag flying from the government, published in 2021:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flying-flags-a-plain-english-guide/flying-flags-a-plain-english-guide
Good link : shows the council is irrational and disproportionate response.
It’s a good link, clearly states that these flags are unlawful, as they didn’t have permission to put them there.
I don’t understand what putting up flags has to do with providing refuge for asylum seekers and migrants? I mean, I’m pretty sure they know they’re coming to England. And everyone knows St George was a Palestinian so maybe we can have some Palestinian flags too!
Saint George (Ancient Greek: Γεώργιος, romanized: Geṓrgios; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army. Of Cappadocian Greek origin, he became a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, but was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith.
Imagine if the council sent contractors to remove any of the lgb etc flags..
Two tier flag rules ?
If you replaced these flags with any other flag, they would still be unlawful in this situation. I’d urge you not to get dragged into this silly narrative.
It is because they didn’t have permission to put them on the lamp posts. Not what flag it is.
This is obviously a move to stir up some sort of agenda and you’re falling for it, or part of it.
Perhaps the council would like to put up Union flags, St. George’s flag, the flag of Sussex (martletts), and the flag of Brighton and Hove (dolphins) along the seafront?
Honestly, I think that’s a nice idea. Also defuses this silly narrative.
I think the flags of Sussex and Brighton are a good idea as a compromise.
Honestly, if they sought permission, and it wasn’t unreasonably withheld, I’d have no problem with it either. I also find flags quite aesthetically pleasing.
Oh let’s have all the flags of the world posted everywhere & be done with it. A veritable United Nations Of Brighton. Perhaps we could lobby government to change our fair city’s name to “BRIGHTUN” …. sorted.
What a beautiful sight! Well done to the lads doing this! Sick of seeing the miserable Palestine flags up everywhere!
A lot of people are quite upset about that situation, sorry if that is inconvenient.
No it’s a tiny minority, yourself included, who seems to think trolling all over comments will create a louder voice for what is a minority opinion
It’s the majority opinion, look up a poll
Peter, polling this summer shows:
55% of Britons oppose Israel’s actions in Gaza, and nearly half believe it amounts to genocide.
45% support recognising Palestine as a state, compared with only 14% opposed.
That’s not “a tiny minority” – it’s millions of people.
St George was a Palestinian so you should be happy to see his flags everywhere!
Greek, not Palestinian. But that’s not the point, which is that he is the patron Saint of England hence a symbol of English culture and heritage. How old are you, six?
St. George is also the patron saint of the countries of Georgia, Portugal and Ethiopia and the regions of Catalunya and Aragon, so not just England. His flag celebrates their heritage and culture too.
Everyone knows St George’s father was Turkish and his mother was Palestinian from Lydda. My Palestine supporting friends say it’s good to see the cross of St George (aka al-Khader in Arabic) and we should put up some Palestinian flags alongside al-Khader‘s to let migrants know we’re welcoming immigrants.
Total joke that the council expects to waste police time doing this. The police are so short of manpower currently and instead of doing something useful they are expecting the police to do this. No doubt within hours of them being removed they will be raised again.
Why the hell should we not fly the St George flag?
This is England, My country, My culture, My history. And we should be respected.
Because it’s against English Law, Your Law, to put flags, of any kind, there without permission. It has nothing to do with it being a St. George’s flag. And likewise, the law should be respected.
Nobody is stopping you from flying any flag from your own property. But these are council lamp posts, so obviously you need permission to attach anything to them.
No reason why you can’t – on your own property – or elsewhere with the permission of the owner. The whole point is that these flags have been put up illegally.
These are hate flags and must be removed immediately Reform are not welcom in this part of Sussex
Well thanks for putting forward your opinion on behalf of the people of Brighton. Who made you spokesperson for the rest of us ?
By all means come and do this Brighton – we’re very welcoming https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2y01r1gk2o.amp
Reform are supported, welcome all over the uk, and most likely to win the next election.
God help us…
We’ll continue to fly the St. George’s flag and don’t care what left-wing nutcases like you think about. Only a moron would take offence when the nations flags are flown. Left-wing nuts have a useless woke council and traitor in No. 10, soon to be removed by the general public. #LabourOut #StarmerOut
Its a flag of our country we should have flags up no big deal just leave it ,not wasting money on paying to have them removed i can’t believe people have an issue with this there is much more we should be worried about
These people don’t realise that they themselves are the biggest bar to the embrace of the St George’s flag. If they just wound their heads in the flag would loose its connotations with these people and, over time, might be more embraced. Its perfectly possible to embrace a healthy, modern, forward-looking English patriotism but most people recoil from outward expressions for fear of being associated with them.
Its like having a deliberately rubbish party and then calling people snobby if they don’t want to come.
Exactly. The tragedy is that people like Elaine get sucked into the propaganda side of it, not realising that they’re the ones reinforcing the negative connotations. Instead of making the flag about pride, groups like this have turned it into a badge of grievance, and they drag ordinary people along with them.
we have bigger fish to fry such as the online safety act which liebour allege is to protect the children i could say much but it would be better if you did your own independent research online
OSA has some good intentions behind it. How effective it has been, and does it creates more problems than solutions, is certainly debatable.
A Ukrainian friend of mine said when she heard about these protests “Defend your culture, your history and your country. Don’t let anyone tell you not to be proud to be British or not to fly your national flag.” What on earth is the council thinking getting involved in this. Anyone that thinks the English flag or Union Jack is a symbol of hate needs their head tested.
Anyone who is against the flags
Anyone who finds the flags of there country offensive. There the problem not the flags. We fly the flags in respect of our heritage where we were born where we grew up its not offensive its patriotic. No one complains about other country’s flags being flown there not touched. But as soon as patriotic English and British citizens raise there flag its racist,we are one of the most diverse countries in the world,so let’s be proud of our national flags not ashamed.
Add to those the flags of the United Nations, Commonwealth and Council of Europe. The U.K. is a member of all those bodies.
Yesterday evening I’d been to a pub and at 11pm I was on my way to the bus stop, passing R Bar on the seafront. A group of language students were outside, chatting to each other and pointing to the rainbow flag, hung from the balcony outside R Bar.
One of them said to me: “Why are you frightened of showing your own national flag? ”
I wish I’d thought up a more considered response, but I just said: “Well this is the gay area of the city and this is a gay bar, so they fly that flag to tell everybody. We don’t actually need to fly a flag everywhere else to tell people this is England. ”
I guess this young student had seen the news, and didn’t understand why hanging the St George’s flag on lamp posts everywhere – in an organised protest against immigration – might be seen as provocative.
Having drunk the best part of a bottle of red, I didn’t feel up to explaining the nuances of flag flying, and of how nationalistic or territorial that can often be. Nor is it easy to explain the difference between the flag of St George, and the Union ‘Jack’ flag – or, for that matter, all the meaningful variations within the different rainbow flags flown.
From the student’s accent I think he may have been German, so I avoided cracking my friend’s joke about how in Brighton we often have more flags flying than at the Nuremberg rallies. Those famous rallies were of course started in the mid 1920s.
Note that the Swastika flag, before it was hijacked by the Nazis, uses a symbol that originally had very different meanings. By the 1930s, the Swastika had undoubted connections with white supremacy and anti-semitisim.
Hanging a flag out nowadays can be seen as an identity thing, or an inclusive thing if on public buildings. Flags are probably most important to those who feel insecure about their identity, or about how they fit into the modern world.
Sadly, flags can also be used to rally opinion and to polarise discussion – to the point where communities are forced to sit on one side of a fence or the other, and where hate is validated.
The word swastika comes from Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक, romanized: svastika, meaning ‘conducive to well-being’. In Hinduism, the right-facing symbol (clockwise) (卐) is called swastika, symbolizing surya (‘sun’), prosperity and good luck, while the left-facing symbol (counter-clockwise) (卍) is called sauvastika, symbolising night or tantric aspects of Kali.
Indeed, and I did a lot of research before I wrote what I did.
My point was that a symbol originally adopted to have one meaning can so quickly be changed to have another, darker one.
Luckily, we do not yet see the flag of St George like a swastika in modern usage. But the direction of travel is not good.
What will I personally wave, at the next football world cup?
Hopefully, here in Sussex, we will not be druv.
Step 1: illegally attach flag to public property
Step 2: become the victim of ‘oppression’ when it’s inevitably removed
Step 3: whine to anyone who will listen about how your culture is being threatened.
This was never about showing pride in your country, they’re just using the flag as a tool to generate outrage.
Wake up people, you’re being manipulated.
Agreed. There’s nothing wrong with flying a flag. Just do it in the places you’re entitled to. The instant and unprovoked aggression is quite telling of that manipulation, in my opinion. This has nothing to do with the left vs the right.
Dya think Nigella De La Farage’s supporters realise they’re supporting a dark, swarthy geezer from Turkey, who if he arrived in England now would be classed as an illegal immigrant? I wonder what they’d think of that little fact as they sit, dressed in their shell-suits, farting upon their dralon suites, making their spliffs?
I have an lgbtq+ flag
I have a palatine flag
I have a Labour flag
I have an anti private school flag
And I suspect you’ve not put any of those up on someone else’s streetlamp! 😀
I have 4 pride flags and 3 Gaza flags
I won’t have a Union Jack as is racist against illegal immigrants!
Illegal being the keyword
English flags are racist ban them
How do you think makes immigrants feel? Not welcome. And that is not what Brighton is about. We support immigrants, pride, communism, mindfulness and peace
Let’s fly flags of peace. It’s time to be mindful of mindfulness
I was born in Brighton and I dont support most of those things.
I was born in Brighton and I don’t support any of those things either! Certainly not communism!!
Useless woke left-wing nutcases in Brighton & Hove council have no problem with Ukraine, Palestine, LGBT+, BLM flags but seems to have a problem with patriots flaying an English flag in England. If the woke morons in Brighton & Hove council don’t like our flag it’s clearly not their flag and not their country so they can move elsewhere.
Keep flying the St. George’s flag everyone. Don’t let these woke council morons dictate their woke ideology.
It is because they didn’t have permission to put them on the lamp posts. Not what flag it is.
This is obviously a move to stir up some sort of agenda and you’re falling for it, or part of it.
Useless woke left-wing nutcases in Brighton & Hove council have no problem with Ukraine, Palestine, LGBT+, BLM flags but seems to have a problem with patriots flying an English flag in England. If the woke morons in Brighton & Hove council don’t like our flag it’s clearly not their flag and not their country so they can move elsewhere.
Keep flying the St. George’s flag everyone. Don’t let these woke council morons dictate their woke ideology.
No-one is saying you can’t fly flags. You just can’t fly flags of any kind on motorways without permission.
We’ll continue to fly the St. George’s flag and don’t care what left-wing nutcases like you think about. Only a moron would take offence when the nations flags are flown. Left-wing nuts have a useless woke council and traitor in No. 10, soon to be removed by the general public. #LabourOut #StarmerOut
“We will continue to break the law and don’t care what the law says.” – Danny Lewis.
It is because they didn’t have permission to put them on the lamp posts. Not what flag it is.
This is obviously a move to stir up some sort of agenda and you’re falling for it, or part of it.
I think it’s welcome and really good to see all those St. George’s flags being flown around the country. We feel proud to live in England.
I am quite fond of a flag myself, and I’d personally like to see more of them. Just on the places we’re allowed to, and if it is a spot where it needs permission, I would hope permission is not unreasonably withheld.
How hard can it be to understand that you can’t, by law, attach flags to certain structures?
See above.
I can see some having difficulties but it can’t be that hard to understand?
An argument of emotion is generally an easier sell than one of logic. We’ve had plenty of examples of it in recent history, even in other countries as well.