Questions about St. George and Union Jack flag lining on British streets

While driving in the southwest of Birmingham, it is difficult to notice something about lamppost.

For more than a mile, almost each one has the St. George or Union Jack flag attached – thousands of them.

In one district, Veli Castle, BBC found two people carrying a ladder and shopping bags. A DIY journey is not this, because as we stop talking to them, a ladder rests against a lamppost, the other draws a union jack flag from the bag, and the next minute it is flying high.

They tell us that they want to spread “love, unity and patriotism”, but do not want to film or interview. They direct us in a local cafe where flags and donations are being collected to detect more.

In Great Britain, it is rare to see the national flags that lining our roads in this way, beyond special occasions like royal, sports or military programs, so why are they now visible – and is it something bigger about the perceptions of the people of modern Britain?

The latest incident started in Voli Castle in mid -July and spread to neighboring areas. In the last week, it is not only in West Midlands, but also in other parts of England including Worster, Bradford, Greater Manchester, Newcastle and Norvich.

In the cafe, we have been told that the first flag was placed in the square of Vale Castle in response to a story about a 12 -year -old girl in a nearby city of rugby who was a 12 -year -old girl. Prevented from giving speeches about being British At his school, wearing a union jack-theme dress.

He wore a dress for the “Culture Celebration Day” of Bilton School, for which students were asked to wear cultural dress instead of school uniforms. The school has since offered a “unreserved waiver” to the girl on the incident.

As soon as the story collects Steam online, a group called Woli Warriors was formed, locals told us in the cafe, initially three men, but now for several dozen members.

We know very little about this group and who is really behind it. What do we know that in the last few weeks, it is vigorous with its bold lion-theme people on social media, mainly being shared by individual accounts. It has a private Facebook group of 1,600 members and has launched an online crowdfunder, with an increase of about £ 14,000, which the group says will only be used “for flags, pole and cable relations”.

On the Crowdfunder page, Woli Warriors have described themselves as a group of proud English men with “Birmingham and Birmingham and the rest of the country as a group of men, how much we pride at our history, freedom and achievements, hope to local communities that all are not lost and they are not alone”.

A Ticketkok account with the name Weoli Warriors has used the hashtag “Operation Rise the Colors” in some posts, a phrase that many accounts are using with pictures of different flag places.

“Operation Rise the Colors” is also the name of another group that has encouraged people to place flags and alleged that they have accepted donations before a distant organization Britain, Times toldResearch group Hope is not hateOperation Rise the Colors was co-established by Andrew Curian, otherwise known as Andy Saxon, who allegedly linked with the first English Defense League and Britain. The group denied that it is a distant organization.

While Woli Warriors focus on activities on Birmingham, the operation enhances colors to supply flags in areas such as Wolverhampton, West Bromich and Staffordshire. On Thursday, a large group of men, several masked, raised hundreds of flags in support of the campaign in London’s Canary.

In some other areas, it seems easy to lift the flag, coincides with one Excessive charge political time in BritainEspecially England, when it comes to national identity and related. There have been protests outside the hotel housing shelter seekers, where the flag of Union Jack and St. George has depicted a heavy portrait between Placards.

There is one A legal battle is going on when a refuge hotel is closed In the city of EPPING, more performances are planned, where speakers often touch the subjects of nationalism.

But the fact is that both St. George and Union Jack flags have been used as a symbol for far-flung political movements for many years, which means that some inhabitants in Birmingham have been uncomfortable with the inspirations of some people supporting Vale warriors.

A person in the suburb of Kings Heath, where a round -round -a -roundness was performed, said that it was “not patriotism, it seems just like an excuse for zenofobia”.

Sarah Milne, who knows the original members of the Veli Warriors, tells us that the idea behind it is proud of the country and “to withdraw the flag from the racists”.

She believes that this is part of a common sense of malaise – “Everyone is very upset with the way the country is being treated, the way we are being treated”.

There has been no response from Woli Warriors after the BBC tried to contact the group several times through social media and crowdfunder page.

All the local people we have interacted with the flag in Woli Castle support the flag, but for different reasons. Some people say that it is about patriotism and citizen pride, some talk about immigration, while others point to the Palestinian flags, while very little in numbers, have long been swept away in other parts of the city.

Bart Green, Vester Seshire’s flag – six miles away in the village -fed village, has become more silent with many people who tell the BBC that they are happy about the flag, but the other people who express restlessness – a man afraid that they may cause partitions.

It is in the heart of how many Britain’s relations with Union Jack and Four Nations flags are complicated.

Sociologist and writer Ellis Cashmore believes that people who display flags probably have different reasons to do so, but usually feel the feeling of being left behind or ignoring. For some, Tax warning and economic pain Possibly this autumn can contribute to this feeling of disillusionment.

“If people come to the conclusion that they are either being silenced or ignored, they want to do something about it,” he tells us.

“Of course, they do not have a means of formal opposition, so what do they do? They start taking out these flags, waving them … they want people to pay attention to them.”

In recent weeks, the flag raising on the lamppost has mostly used union jacks, but others – especially those painting roundabouts and zebra crossings – have chosen St. George Cross, which symbolizes the Saint of England.

St. George’s flag is sometimes closely tied with English nationalists, and union jack is often used by mainstream political parties, including toris and labor. With these flags, you can currently see Scottish Salter, Welsh Dragon and Irish tricolor on one of the busiest roads in Birmingham.

In Greater Manchester, where flags have also started, Mayor Andy Bernham BBC told Radio Manchester These “flags are controversial … especially St. George’s flag”.

He said, “I don’t think you need to start painting to your community, you can clearly display a flag if it is your choice, but I don’t know, I am surprised about the time we are living,” he said.

“It is as if people are looking for conflict.”

It gives a warning from the Darset Council leader Nick Ireland, a Liberal Democrat, who said on Friday that some residents appeared to be “intimidating” to St. George’s flag and “naive” to suggest that the symbol was not “kidnapped” by some far-flung rights groups.

As a political row develops at the response to flags and round dizziness, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said on Saturday that the councils removing the flag on the lamppost were behaving in a “shameful” manner and implementing the “selected” rules.

He wrote in the Daily Mail that such flags should be seen as a “rebellion”.

Meanwhile, the Lebor-Run City Council in Birmingham has been accused of leaving the Palestinian flag but is carrying it. St. George and Union Jack Flags Below Initially officials said the latter was a health and safety risk and would be removed. The council has also said that since the beginning of January, only 200 flags have been taken down and there is no one since August 1.

Many Palestinian flags in Birmingham have popped up on just one or two lampposts instead of lining on the streets. An exception to this was in early July when Lampost was placed in bed with Palestinian flags between Birmingham University and Edgbaston Cricket Ground – they were quickly taken down.

In an idea, which wandered somewhat from Burnham’s comments, another Labor Mayor of West Midland – Richard Parker – said this week: “I have seen them, I agree that they are uplifting us all … Patriotic performance is something that I support, so it is my position and I think it is my position and I feel that the positions of the councils are fast.”

Police has joined In a few roundabout-spray incidents, the West Mercia police said that this week it was investigating the Bromsgrove and West Middlelands police as a criminal damage, stating that it was inquiring.

It is not clear how long it will last. Will patriotic flags become more permanent stability of residential roads in Britain, such as in many American neighborhoods where they are common?

This week after the flag flight and round round spraying in Greater Manchester this week, Bernham asked people to “chill out” – something seems easier than this time.

Additional reporting by Katie Thompson and Amy Johnson.