The recent upsurge in patriotic British citizens, together with British nationalist activists fixing Union Jacks, or St George’s Cross flags to lamp posts, railings and barriers, has attracted much mainstream media attention.
Likewise, the painting of the Union flag or the St George’s Cross on mini roundabouts or on pedestrian crossings has not only attracted the media, but has fired up many local councils, particularly Labour-dominated councils, to launch immediate removal campaigns, especially in ethnic minority dominated districts.
This article compares the very different responses of two authorities in North Yorkshire. Note that LGBT flags or Palestine flags do not receive the same urgency for removal. In this article, we compare and contrast responses to this situation in the city of York and the North Yorkshire city of Ripon.
The York Press duly reported: “No plans to remove St George’s and union flags flying across York, says council.”
“Council chiefs have no plans to remove England flags which have appeared high up on streetlights across York – with one exception. Earlier this week, dozens of flags of St George, Union flags and a handful of flags of the county of Yorkshire appeared on lampposts in areas of York.
“City of York Council said that concerns have been raised over flags going up without approval and the safety of people scaling lampposts, saying it could create a risk to them and other members of the public. In York, The Press has seen flags flying on lampposts from the A1079 Grimston Bar roundabout and the dual carriageway along the Hull Road up to Tang Hall Lane, Knavesmire Road and the junction of Lawrence Street and James Street.”
However, one local MP, the Labour MP for the constituency of York Central, has a very different take on local patriots putting up flags. Once again the local news media, the York Press, provides some coverage.
“York MP says putting flags on lampposts is not within the law.”
“Placing flags on lampposts and painting infrastructure is ‘not within the law’, a York MP has said, as she urged the council to “uphold order and the law.
“Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, said she has been “inundated with messages from residents” about the flags and graffiti in York, and will be “raising this issue when parliament returns next week. Dave Atkinson, the council’s director of environment and regulatory services, has, however, said the local authority has “some serious concerns about the safety of people” installing the flags ‘without the appropriate approvals or equipment’.
“The council has confirmed that it will be removing markings such as a St George’s Cross daubed on the roundabout at the junction with Fifth Avenue, Fleming Avenue and Harcourt Street, in Tang Hall, earlier this week. It also confirmed that bright red crosses which appeared on the white stripes of the zebra crossing outside the Co-Op store in Tang Hall Lane would be removed.
“As The York Press has reported, Union and St George’s flags have been attached to lampposts in areas of York, including streets around Tang Hall, with almost every streetlight on Melrosegate adorned, as well as the A1079 Grimston Bar roundabout and the dual carriageway along Hull Road.”
Notice here that some officials on York City Council appear to have fallen in step with the local MP, and the earlier statements about “No plans to remove St George’s and union flags” do not apply to painted flags on road crossings and roundabouts. Meanwhile, in North Yorkshire, a very different story has emerged.
RIPON
Three women were filmed ripping down a Saint George’s Cross flag, and one of the women threw the flag to the ground and began stamping her feet on it. The video went viral on social media on August 26th-27th 2025… and then this from North Yorkshire County Council in Ripon, taking a very different stance to York City Council, and appearing to be politically hostile to such overt displays of patriotism.
“A video showing three people in North Yorkshire removing and stamping on a St George’s flag has gone viral, as council chiefs warn that painting flags on roundabouts is illegal and a public safety hazard.
“In North Yorkshire, council chiefs say St George’s flags painted onto roundabouts and other road markings will be painted over, while flags attached to street furniture will be removed. North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Councillor Malcolm Taylor, said:
“While we respect individuals’ rights to fly and paint flags on their own private property, they must not do so on public property. Any flags painted on roundabouts or road markings will be removed as soon as resources allow. Flags affixed to street furniture, such as lampposts, will also be taken down.
“We appreciate the public’s cooperation in helping to maintain safety and respect for these shared spaces.”
While looking at the patriotic flag situation in York, a story briefly appeared in some sections of the mainstream news media, then rapidly disappeared for obvious reasons. What happened in a white working class district of York on the evening of August 22nd, 2025?
The mainstream media briefly described the situation as “a disturbance” and only one referenced a “Asian/Pakistani delivery driver”.
“A Muslim Amazon Driver Gets Offended At British Flags Hanging At A House In York, Returned Later That Night With His Gang To Attack The Family.”
And this from a report on the incident on an overseas-based social media news channel: “a reported incident in York, England, on August 21-22, 2025, involving an alleged gang attack linked to a dispute over British flags, aligning with a rare surge in localised ethnic tensions, as North Yorkshire Police reported 129 arrests in July 2025 for related summer crime spikes.”
This story is of obvious interest to British Movement Northern region, and we would ask our readers and supporters with any further details on this story to contact this website. Unlike some of the towns and cities of West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, York does not have entire districts that are ethnic minority strongholds.
Once again British Movement Northern Region would welcome reports and images from our readers and citizen journalists on subjects of interest and local events and activities.
Credits:
Main Image: Wikipedia.
Video: Facebook.
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