Birmingham The city council plans to remove the British and St George’s flags from lampposts ‘to protect public safety’.
The council – led by a coalition of the Liberal Democratsthe Greens and the independents – yesterday took legal action to ban the flags.
If an injunction is granted, anyone who places flags such as the Union Jack near roads without permission from Birmingham City Council could face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
It follows a national debate over whether British and St George’s flags should be allowed, with some seeing them as a sign of patriotism, while others see them as a display of nationalism aimed at intimidating ethnic minorities.
A campaign called Raise The Colors resulted in thousands of St George’s crosses being placed on lampposts, roundabouts and homes across the UK.
This was prompted by local disputes in Birmingham after local councils removed flags from public lampposts.
Birmingham City Council said yesterday it is taking legal action to prevent people from raising the flags after staff tasked with removing them faced harassment and intimidation.
Jane Baston, a Green councilor and cabinet member for equality, communities and social justice in Birmingham, said: “The council takes a lawful, proportionate and evidence-based approach to unauthorized highway seizures.
Several St George’s and Union Jack flags have been tied to lampposts around Weoley Castle in Birmingham
Birmingham City Council first caused outrage in August last year by ordering the removal of British flags from lampposts
“This includes taking enforcement action based on the evidence gathered to date. Our priority is to protect public safety, the well-being of staff and contractors, community cohesion and the responsible use of public resources.
‘We ask residents and community groups to support this approach and ensure any displays are only placed where permission is given.’
The council’s application included Ryan Bridge, co-founder of Operation Raise the Colours, as well as seven others and ‘unknown individuals’.
Last month, Oxfordshire Council became the first local authority to make a profit legal authority to end flag flying from the public infrastructure.
Oxfordshire County Council maintenance workers were told to wear face coverings and check their vehicles for trackers when removing the flags after campaigners published a colleague’s home address.
The local government, which was previously led by the Liberal Democrats but now has no overall control, had taken legal action to stop people from raising flags near highways, which it said posed safety risks of trespassing and obstruction.
While some politicians decried the removals, others claimed the increased number of flights was the result of xenophobia or racism.
Oxfordshire County Council said flags had been placed on or near public roads without permission for months, despite a formal legal notice in March and preliminary legal letters sent to individuals in May.
Birmingham City Council said it is taking legal action to prevent people from raising the flags after staff tasked with removing them faced harassment and intimidation
Birmingham City Council first sparked outrage in August last year by ordering the removal of British flags from lampposts – despite being ‘too scared’ to take them down Palestine flags without police protection.
At the time they claimed the flags puts the lives of pedestrians and motorists ‘at risk’ despite being a whopping 25 feet above the ground.
The flags had been put up by a small, organized group of residents to ‘show Birmingham and the rest of the country how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements’.
In a statement published yesterday, Raise The Colors said: ‘We are aware of a notice from Birmingham City Council referring to a High Court petition regarding unauthorized highway fixtures, including flags, banners and signage.
‘Previously we had no dialogue with Birmingham City Council. We only became aware of it after members of the public alerted us to the Council’s Facebook post and after the matter was mentioned on TalkTV.
‘We believe that public resources are better spent on core services such as waste collection, safer streets and supporting local communities.
‘We strive for clarity and will respond through a thorough legal procedure if necessary.
‘We ask everyone not to speculate and to establish the facts through the correct channels. We will keep people informed as we are able to do so.”
