The Raise the Colours group has been putting up flags across the country since August last year. Photograph: Martin Anderson/Alamy
Oxfordshire county council is seeking an injunction against the Raise the Colours campaign group after England flags were tied to lamp-posts across the county.
The campaign has been putting up flags across the country since August last year, with a particular proliferation in and around Oxford. Although the campaign claims it is motivated by pride and patriotism, the flag raising has been linked to anti-immigration protests.
The county has so far spent £15,000 to remove more than 300 union and St George's cross flags from lamp-posts.
The leader of the flag group, Birmingham-based Ryan Bridge, was arrested in April on suspicion of causing religiously and racially aggravated harassment. This occurred shortly after he and his group filmed themselves raising flags around Oxfordshire.
Residents have complained online about the flags, describing them as looking “awful”, particularly at Headington roundabout on the outskirts of Oxford. Some locals have been putting up flags of other countries, including Ireland and Jamaica, alongside the England flags in protest.
Oxfordshire county council issued a legal notice in April banning the group from putting up flags, arguing it was an “act of intimidation and division”. However, the flag raising continued, prompting the council to seek an injunction at the high court, to be heard on 23 June.
The council states the flag incidents have included “trespass, obstruction of the highway, and incidents where council teams, contractors and residents have faced confrontation or harassment”. Council teams have also faced abuse and harassment when removing flags.
If granted, the injunction would prohibit further flag raising on or near the highway and allow enforcement action if breached. Named individuals associated with Raise the Colours are included in the court filing.
The unauthorised placement of flags on highway infrastructure is already a criminal offence.
The council said the flag raising “has created clear road safety and public safety risks and caused distress in local communities”. Council leader Tim Bearder of the Liberal Democrats stated: “This application is about protecting our residents, our workforce and the values we stand for as a county.”
He clarified the issue was not about the flags themselves, adding: “We proudly fly the union flag and St George’s flag at County Hall and we fully support the right of residents to display flags on their own private property.” However, he emphasised “there’s an important distinction between lawful expression and activity that puts people at risk or intimidates residents in their own communities”.
Of Raise the Colours, Bearder said: “This activity is not about national pride or unity. It is unlawful behaviour, which has caused fear and division within our communities. We have a clear responsibility to keep people safe and ensure our public spaces are welcoming and inclusive for everyone.”
Some critics note the injunction application coincides with the World Cup, when people want to put up England flags. The high court will hear the council’s application on the same day England faces Ghana in their second World Cup fixture.
Liam Walker, a Conservative councillor in Oxfordshire, told the Telegraph: “With the World Cup now under way and communities across the country coming together to support their national teams, many residents will question whether this is really the right time to be escalating matters further through the courts.”
Tory party chair Kevin Hollinrake called the injunction “shameful” and urged the Lib Dems to “get off their virtue-signalling high horse and get behind our flag”.
