The English flag being used by racists is not a new thing. In my whole life, outside of a World cup Cup or Euros, if I saw a house, pub or person (anything other than official buildings) with an English flag then I would know to avoid them. I remember where I grew up my bus to school went past a house with about 30 flags around which was on the local news one day. Guess what, the resident was a massive racist and a horrible person.
Flags are great at sporting events but outside of that, even though it is sad, they only really mean one thing and doubt that will change anytime son, if only because its been so ingrained into their racist messaging. Same as British Bulldogs
Same here in the states! Except there are flags in front of essentially every business. You can barely go 3 blocks without seeing multiple american flags. It’s really quite silly. But, a person wearing clothes with an american flag is definitely a (pun intended) huge red flag. I’m sure there are exceptions but from my experience, those are usually the worst people.
Over there, is it more the English flag or the union jack? Or is it a mix of both?
and at every holiday they can bunch of small flags and paper plates and napkins and other trash. its so funny how disrepectful people who love the flag are.
Historically it was the English flag but since brexit it’s a mix of both. I have noticed the English nationalists have seemed to join with the Scottish, Welsh and NI nationalists, and outright talking about grouping up that didn’t seem to happen before
Considering what’s going on in Belfast, I’m sure that won’t cause any problems anywhere else in the UK.
I had this conversation with a friend of mine who saw a Union Jack and mentioned that they probably vote for Reform but I put my foot down, they don’t get to claim our flag as their own. No way. Not happening. They’re welcome to display the flash but for me it’s a symbol of of multicultural Britain and not of the closest racists party.
How do you/we go about reclaiming it though? I’ve thought about it a lot. It has it’s official place - outside buildings, government use, anything with the Royal family etc. It’s got it’s sporting place - union jack for Olympics and British teams, England flag for English team in other sports. Anywhere else you have to assume they’re racist or at a minimum very nationalist, especially after Raise the Flags. In one way, as a brown person it’s helpful to know which places to avoid!
I don’t really don’t want to use the flag outside of international sports, im not going to put it outside my house or business, I don’t carry it around etc
It’s a good question, and I don’t fly the flag outside my house or on my car either. But I simply won’t allow the rhetoric that it’s somehow become the flag of Reform. I’ll simply tell people to F-off and remind them that the fish represents the entire country and not a single issue or party.
I’m just angry the the flag my grandfather fought under us now the banner under which Nigel “F-face” Forage or Tommy “the racist” Robinson is trying to claim. I’ll just keep defending it.
I’m going to try to will it into being. It probably won’t work but I feel like I don’t have a choice.
I’m also jealous of the US, at least they have the flag of losers that the racists can fly instead of the national flag. We need a UK version of the Confederate flag so thatv we can separate it from our multinational identity.
It’s always been the same for me. When I see the flag I think of football hooligans cheering England.
Given the nature of symbols, it will really require an effort to reclaim it’s meaning. Possibly an intentional movement to establish a more positive meaning. It’s always easier to tarnish a symbol than to restore one. It can be worth the effort though.
Perhaps someone who supports the England football team, but who isn’t far-right, could get a flag made with a design like this:
us they do the same thing. I have a flag when I protest as im not going to give up that symbology to them. difference is in their protests you will see nazi flags and the confederate flag. its like get lost with that noise.
