![\"England](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/3_Brummies-paint-St-Georges-Cross-on-mini-roundabouts-as-flag-row-rages-on.jpg\")
England flags flying on lampposts on Genners Lane along Bartley Reservoir , Bartley Green Birmingham.(Image: Anita Maric \/ SWNS)<\/p>\nAnti racist groups lead call for flags to come downEngland flags flying on lampposts on Genners Lane along Bartley Reservoir , Bartley Green Birmingham.(Image: Anita Maric \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n
Three Birmingham anti-racist organisations are demanding the \u201cimmediate removal\u201d of flags put up across city communities – warning it is a \u201cfar right orchestrated attack\u201d on ethnic minorities and race harmony.<\/p>\n
Birmingham<\/a> Stand Up Against Racism (BSUAR), Birmingham Race Impact Group and Kings Heath United Against Racism leaders have \u201cunequivocally condemned the orchestrated placement of Union Jacks and St George\u2019s flags on lampposts\u2014and the painting of St George\u2019s crosses on roundabouts\u2014across our city.\u201d<\/p>\n They have warned: \u201cThis is not innocent \u201cpatriotism.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: Major update on Birmingham City Council’s \u00a3171m IT project as whistleblowers say ‘it’s a mess’<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The groups say it is \u2018part of a far-right operation aimed at intimidating asylum seekers, migrants, and Muslims, and sowing division in our communities\u2019.<\/p>\n They argue the campaign, organised as \u201cOperation Raise the Colours,\u201d is \u2018neither spontaneous nor harmless.\u201d<\/p>\n They also claim it has received explicit backing from known far-right figures including Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson) who has publicly urged activists to \u201craise the colours\u201d in defiance of councils removing flags, while Britain First has supplied flags to organisers in some areas.<\/p>\n Says Stand Up to Racism: \u201cThese links show this is not a benign display of local pride but a coordinated far-right strategy, embedded in extremist political organising.<\/p>\n \u201cSuch displays send a chilling message to Birmingham\u2019s diverse communities: that they are unwelcome, under surveillance, and at risk.<\/p>\n ‘Why The Flags Must Come Down’<\/strong><\/p>\n The group, part of Birmingham Race Impact Group\u2019s campaign for Birmingham to be a truly anti-racist city, said: \u201cWe support Birmingham City Council<\/a> \u2019s initiative to remove the flags from lampposts and other street furniture.<\/p>\n “But let\u2019s be clear: the central reason these flags must come down is not simply because of health and safety regulations or questions of legality. They must be removed because they are symbols of racist intimidation and far-right organising.<\/p>\n “To leave them in place is to allow fascist groups to mark territory and spread hate.\u201d<\/p>\n Among those calling for action is Mukhtar Dar, of Kings Heath<\/a> United Against Racism. \u201cWhen that flag goes up on a lamppost, it\u2019s not just paint or cloth\u2014it\u2019s a target on our backs. This is not thumping up, it\u2019s thumping down: an attempt to push communities down, to intimidate and divide, not to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n Bob Maloney, of Birmingham Stand Up to Racism, said: \u201cFascism doesn\u2019t pick its victims by race alone\u2014it seeks to divide, scapegoat, and oppress. The far right is a threat to all minorities, including LGBTQ+ people, and ultimately to every one of us who believes in justice, solidarity, and equality.\u201d<\/p>\n Jagwant Johal, Birmingham Race Impact Group, added: \u201cBy orchestrating flag displays in Birmingham\u2019s disadvantaged wards, the far right, Reform UK and the Conservatives are fuelling anti-migrant sentiment before local elections. This risks sectarian-style divisions like Northern Ireland and demands Council action to uphold its anti-racist pledge.\u201d<\/p>\n The groups added: \u201cRhetoric like \u201cstop the boats,\u201d used by national political figures across Labour and Conservative parties, has scapegoated migrants and legitimised far-right narratives. Human rights groups and researchers warn that such dehumanising speech normalises extremist beliefs and fuels hate on our streets.”<\/p>\n They also claim that the St George cross and Union Jack have in recent times become \u201cdeeply tied to Britain\u2019s imperial past. Far-right groups\u2014like BNP, EDL, and today\u2019s outfits\u2014have reclaimed it as a symbol of exclusion. This is not comparable to waving a flag at a football game. Public displays on lampposts and road junctions are territorial acts of political intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n Throwing down the gauntlet to the local council and police they demand:<\/p>\n 1. Immediate removal of all unauthorised flags and painted crosses\u2014first and foremost because they are racist, far-right symbols of intimidation, not legitimate community pride.<\/p>\n