How sad that flag waving has taken on such significance to divide, not unite, The recent St George's and union flag flying and painting is not patriotism, it's the far right using it to intimidate. and is currently being hijacked by racists, xenophobes, and the violent far right to create hatred and division, designed to make refugees, immigrants and people who were born here but have family from a different country, feel unwelcome, with a clear racist intent.
Painting St George’s flags outside migrant hotels and on road markings isn’t 'pride.' It’s the same mentality that once saw doors marked to show who was unwanted. Different time, same ugly message, that we’ve seen before.
In 1920s Italy, Mussolini’s Blackshirts claimed to defend the 'true nation' while smashing unions and protecting industrialists. In 1930s Germany, Hitler’s Brownshirts wrapped themselves in flags, sang of patriotism, and hunted “traitors” in the street.
These movements never start with gas chambers. They start with symbols and intimidation. Flags daubed on walls. Mobs harassing 'enemies of the nation.' Ordinary people too scared to resist. Violence comes later , once the intimidation feels normal.
That’s why Raise the Colours is so dangerous. It’s not just a few blokes with paint. It’s a permission structure for harassment, emboldened by politicians and pundits who wink at it as 'vigour' or 'patriotism.'
Flag-waving doesn't make you a patriot. In fact, you are in danger of degrading the flag by associating it with hatred. Not very British, in fact. To me personally it represents nothing of value, but then again I'm a Welsh man so am probably biased,
As for St George he was born in Cappadocia, part of modern day Turkey into a noble Christian family in the third century, around 270 CE, whilst Wikipedia has him born in Lydda, Syria Palestina (Lodd) – 23 April 280 CE. His mother was a Palestinian. She came from what was then the larger area of Palestine (Israel and the Occupied Territories today.) and she took George back to her homeland after the death of his father.
And although he lived four centuries before the birth of Islam, his wide appeal, beyond borders or races, has made him a figure sacred to Muslims and Christians alike. In Palestine he symbolises Christian Muslim unity and shared Arabic culture.
Oh and St George also happens to be the patron saint of Lithuania, Portugal, Aragon, Germany and Greece, as well as cities including Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice. The episode of St. George and the Dragon was clearly a legend brought back with the Crusaders to Britain. Also known as 'Al Khadr' (the Green) he is associated with fertility and growth.
There is so much information around about St. George it’s hard to tell fact from fiction but it's fair to say he never visited England and is most definitely not English a fact that many right wing idiots in the UK fail to remember, while demonising immigrants and multiculturalism and if he was around today and tried to come to England to seek refuge he would probably be deported.
Not all flag wavers are far right but HOPE not hate has revealed that the key organisers behind much of this activism are hardened and extreme far-right activists.https://hopenothate.org.uk/2025/08/22/operation-raise-the-colours-organised-by-well-known-far-right-extremists/ Lest we forget that the Voice of Wales putting up flags here in Wales are fascists. The union and St Georges flags are getting weaponised by the far right. all who drape themselves in the flag and call themselves patriots. I do not doubt for a second that many of the new people currently draping themselves in union and St Georges flags do not support Yaxley-Lennon, Golding and the rest. But when you read posts, watch videos, see info graphics from the genuine people who find themselves posting far right race hate stuff being propagated by these agitators, that is when it all gets murky.
The campaign named “Operation Raise the Colours” which it's supporters claim is a fight for national pride and identity in areas where they feel immigration has changed daily life. But for critics, it’s a provocation that risks inflaming tensions.
The campaign has also accepted a donation from fascist group Britain First. This the the same Britain First that was set up by former members of the Nazi British National Party. Paul Golding, the leader of Britain First, was a former BNP councillor, who has criminal convictions for hate crimes.
Andy Saxon, one of the organisers of the flags campaign, has said that Britain First is not a far right group. Saxon thanked Britain First for the donation, and has shared posts from Golding and repeatedly posted in support of fascist Tommy Robinson. Robinson himself has championed the campaign. Fascist Homeland Party, a group founded by former officials from the BNP, has shared graphics advertising the campaign. White Vanguard, a Nazi group whose supporters call themselves National Socialist activists, has shared photos that suggest members have been involved in the campaign.
I'm all for flags being used as a symbol of joy but not as symbols of race hate which they're being used for currently by well known far right agitators. who attempt to intimidate, engender fear, “other”, and exclude anyone who isn’t English, not people I'd choose to associate with, prefer the more caring, kinder welcoming sort.
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