UK Police Clarify Arrests During Flag Displays Linked to Public Order Offences, Not Flag Itself

Recent claims circulating on social media, including a tweet from Ian Miles Cheong, suggest that UK police are "out of control" and that displaying an English flag risks "violent arrest," treating national identity as a crime. The tweet stated, > "Police in the UK are out of control. Put up an English flag and you risk being dragged off the street in a violent arrest. The message is clear: your own national identity is treated as a crime." However, investigations into multiple incidents indicate that arrests made in the vicinity of flag displays have primarily been for public order offences, racial abuse, or criminal damage, rather than the act of flag display itself.

This controversy arises amidst "Operation Raise the Colours," an online movement encouraging the widespread display of the St. George's Cross and Union Jack flags across the UK. While proponents view this as a patriotic expression, the campaign has coincided with a rise in related incidents, including acts of vandalism and reported racist abuse. Local authorities and police forces have had to address the implications of this movement.

Several specific incidents have been subject to public scrutiny and subsequent clarification by law enforcement. In Liverpool, a man was arrested during a pro-Palestinian rally, not for waving a Union Jack flag, but on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and homophobic abuse, as confirmed by Merseyside Police. Similarly, a man in London was arrested for shouting racial abuse at protestors while holding a Union Jack, with police explicitly stating the flag itself was not the reason for arrest.

Further incidents include the arrest of a man in Basildon on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and conspiracy to commit criminal damage, following a video showing St. George's crosses being painted on homes accompanied by alleged racist slurs. Essex Police confirmed this arrest was due to the associated criminal behaviour and abusive language. Additionally, a woman arrested in Epping for flying a Union Jack from a council building was apprehended for breaching a Section 14 order, which restricts protest activity, not for the flag display itself.

Police forces, such as Cumbria Police, have also had to counteract misinformation, clarifying that officers photographed near flags were often installing CCTV for security purposes, with "no flags harmed." While the government's guide on flag flying states that the Union Jack and St. George's Cross generally do not require formal consent for display, they must have the permission of the site owner, and affixing them to highway structures without consent remains an offence. Law enforcement maintains that actions leading to arrest are typically those that violate public order, incite hatred, or cause damage, distinguishing them from peaceful acts of national expression.