We spoke to a range of people living and working around Park Road to find out how they feel about the sudden arrival of flags in the bustling city road
A large number of Union Flags have been put up along Park Road in Liverpool 8
A large number of Union Flags have been hung from lampposts in Liverpool’s most diverse post code – and the move is dividing opinion. Some locals have described the flags as “intimidating” or said they have made them feel “uncomfortable”, while others – including people from a range of different backgrounds – have said they are happy to see them flying high in the area.
In recent weeks, a growing number of Union Flags and St George’s Flags have been going up in cities, towns and villages as part of what appears to be a wider movement that supporters have said is being done to show national pride – but for others has been causing concern.
Much of that concern has come from the fact that the proliferation of flags on buildings, roadsides and around communities has come during a period of unrest and tension in the country. The British summer was dominated by anti-immigration protests outside asylum hotels where many of those protesting have been draped in – or waving – either of the nation’s flags.
So when around 17 Union Flags were suddenly put up along Park Road in the middle of Liverpool 8 – the city’s most multi-cultural of areas – the question was, how did it make local people feel?
Union Flags flying in Park Road
It appears that the flags were hung up along the nearly 1km stretch of Park Road on Monday night, with some questioning whether the fact they were put up late on provided some insight into the motives of those involved.
A Muslim woman who lives in the area and told the ECHO: “Let them be patriotic. But to see that now on Park Road and to come out at night to put them up, that just shows what you stand for. I just give up with them, it is just ridiculous.”
The woman, who asked not to be named, added: “I feel uncomfortable now, I am thinking now I can’t take my daughters to gymnastics in the evening. I am going to have to keep myself and my daughters indoors.”
One person who actually saw and spoke to the men involved in hanging the flags is Si, who has lived on Park Road all his life.
He said: “I saw these guys putting them up last night – there were three lads with a ladder. I asked one of them what it was about, he says ‘There is no malice in it, it is all about love’.”
Asked why he thought the flags were being hung, Si said: “There is no jubilee or anything so I think it is just what’s going on around the country. They said it was all about love. I have never seen them before and they didn’t sound Scouse.
“It’s always been diverse around here. That’s a strength. It is all I have been used to all my life.”
Standing at the bus stop on Park Road, opposite the large Tesco store, is Sue. She is 70 and has also lived in the area for her entire life.
“I think it is a little bit intimidating and I am surprised they are up in this area,” she said when looking at the line of Union Flags.
“It seems to be a bit of a statement and I am shocked they are still up. You get cranks in every area but most people around here are alright.”
But this is not a view shared by Martin, a 55-year-old Park Road shop owner who came from his native Nigeria to the UK 26 years ago. He is happy to see the flag of his adopted nation flying outside his small business.
“The flag is OK for me to be honest,” said Martin, who has three children in the UK. “The reason (they are up here) I don’t know, but if it is for love, unity, then why not?”
He added: “Nobody is going to intimidate me. Most of the people here, we know each other. For the Union Jack issue, I don’t find it offensive.”
One of many Union Flags flying on Park Road in Liverpool 8
Rawan Hamed is another Park Road local who is not originally from this country, but is pleased to see the national flag on display in the area.
Speaking outside the coffee shop where he works, Rawan explains that he is Kurdish Iraqi and has been in the UK and in Liverpool for two years.
“The flag is very nice, I am very happy with it,” he told the ECHO. He added: “I only saw them this morning, it looks nice. It is not a problem. I am proud to be in Britain.”
But for John Tillson, there remains concern behind the motives of the flags in the neighbourhood he has resided in for the past five years.
“It doesn’t appear to be a vote for unity and harmony, so it is a bit worrying,” he said. The 39-year-old added: “There is no obvious reason for them to be here other than the current trend, for which the major narrative is exclusion.”
On its approach to flags being hung around the city, a spokesperson for Liverpool Council said it had previously removed a small number of flags from public street lights.
They added: “This is part of our standard protocol as we routinely remove any unauthorised attachments from street furniture to ensure public safety.
“Any attachments to street furniture, such as streetlights, could present a serious safety risk to road users. If they are not secured properly, they could cause an accident, and the placement of items could reduce visibility on the road.”