This red cross appeared on a mini-roundabout near my home yesterday.
It wasn't the only such symbol to arrive. I noticed that other mini-roundabouts had been similarly adorned.
I also noticed that at least one had been partially obliterated by someone using grey paint. I cannot, in that case, be the only person who does not welcome what these symbols represent.
More than that, though, serious questions arise about what is going on here.
Firstly, this is criminal damage, which imposes a cost on communities. Why isn't this point being made in all reports on this issue? And why do those reports not all call for the prosecution of those involved? It has, after all, been proven to the satisfaction of the government that daubing red paint is now a terrorist defence carrying a penalty of 14 years in prison.
Secondly, at a time when writing words on a piece of cardboard is also apparently a terrorist offence, even though no actual harm is done to anyone, there appears to be a campaign of mass propaganda in our social media to promote the idea that painting roundabouts and flying flags on lamp posts is, somehow, a valid way to express political comment when it is very clear that these are acts intended to intimidate.
In the immediate vicinity in which I live, there are quite a number of people who are not of British origin, either themselves or because their parents and grandparents were migrants to this country. If any of them feel relaxed about what is happening, I would be completely astonished. The actions of those painting these logos are meant to intimidate all of us in this situation, and as a matter of fact, I am sure that they do. As a consequence, painting these symbols is not just an act of criminal vandalism: it is also an act of harassment and intimidation at the very least, with, in my opinion, an implicit threat of violence contained within it.
Third, if it were otherwise, why is it that some of those taking part in these activities have, as the BBC have reported, worn balaclavas, or refused to talk to the media about their actions?
Finally, and fourth, why is it that there are so few arrests at the protests taking place outside hotels housing migrants, where such symbols are also used? We have draconian laws on protest in place now. They have been used to prosecute environmental campaigners for simply walking down the street, intimidating no one, and doing nothing more than mildly disturbing traffic for brief periods. In contrast, protesters outside hotels where migrants are being housed are not being arrested. This is despite the fact that, according to the law on criminal protest that now exists, their actions appear to be illegal. What is more, they also seem to have the deliberate intention of causing nuisance to a particular community, with an act of aggression implicit within it. This would also appear to be illegal.
Despite this, it seems that actions are not being taken to prevent such protests. The contrast in policing is quite extraordinary and has to be noted. It is as if we now have laws on protest that only apply to those seeking a more sustainable, peaceful, and harmonious way of life, while those seeking to disrupt it are beyond the law. How and why is that?
This issue is unlikely to go away, I suspect. If so, our politicians need to get their heads around it pretty quickly because, unless they want us all to live in societies where division is normalised, action is required very quickly.
Taking further action
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One word of warning, though: please ensure you have the correct MP. ChatGPT can get it wrong.
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Why isn’t this Starmer government proscribing fascist parties that are clearly generating fear in our nation? Why does it have respect for the Israelis who are clearly generating fear in Palestine with their ethnic cleansing policy and the Starmer government complicit in aiding this? Could it be that Starmer is a low respect racist himself and therefore sociocidal?
The double standards, hypocrisy and cowardice of our political brand managers in Downing Street is breathtaking. I fear that things are already getting out of control but may be that is what Westminster wants because all the time we are fixated on roundabouts and asylum seekers our attention is drawn away from what the Government is facilitating in Gaza, growing wealth inequality and creeping privatisation. We are now seeing the really vile side of the failing neoliberal agenda.
Why is no one in the main stream media calling Farage out on any of this? By failing to do so they provide yet more evidence that they are complicit in this escalating situation.
Much to agree with.
Is it simply that restricting the more violent demonstrations will stimulate the rhetoric of Farage and Tice et al and raise the platform of Reform yet again, which Labour is trying to avoid?
Labour may want to avoid that, but that should have no effect whatsoever on policing decisions, which are made by the ‘independent’ police force.
I was stunned the other day on the Guardian sport section by the fact that pictures celebrating the footballer ‘Eze’s’ move from Crystal Palace to Arsenal had been painted out and the word ‘Yids’ painted next to the paint out. Yet there was no commentary about it whatsoever!
Was this a stab at The Arsenal? Do a lot of Jews support or run the club? I mean WTF? Anti-Semitism in broad daylight about a player transfer to another club that will enrich the player, his agent and hopefully the venerable old club’s season (I have a soft spot for them – my club Nottingham Forest leant them their first shirts when they were starting out, and after Stuart Pearce of course, Ian Wright is a national treasure).
OTOH, we have the murder and ethnic cleansing going on in Gaza and it is not acceptable to say or do anything about that!
Fascist absurdity – the fascists are really good at it.
I’m in despair about this country’s slide towards fascism .
However,the defacing of the Eze mural is neither fascism nor anti-semitism.
The Guardian should have mentioned that the damage was obviously done by Spurs fans.”Yids” is one of their chants as they have a strong Jewish fanbase.
Arsenal,having suffered an injury to a forward,then gazumped the much trumpeted move of Eze to Spurs.
‘Yid’ is not a nice term and you know it.
I don’t care if its used by football fans – it should not be tolerated.
Thin end of the wedge it maybe considered by some, but a wedge is a wedge I say?
And your point was?
Some will say that the use of ‘Yids’ by Spurs fans is a way of ‘reclaiming’ the word. I disagree. I think it’s highly offensive, whoever is using it and in whatever context.
(Spurs lost out on signing him, that’s the reference?)
If this criminal damage is intended to represent the flag of England, then painting it on mini roundabouts and zebra crossings is, surely, an act of flag desecration, as it will be driven over and walked on. Even more serious are the actions of some of those carrying out illegal protests while carrying flags on which they have written slogans. While flag desecration is not illegal in the UK, it does show utter disrespect for the flag of our great country.
(sarcasm alert)
“It has, after all, been proven to the satisfaction of the government that daubing red paint is now a terrorist defence carrying a penalty of 14 years in prison.”
No it hasn’t. That’s a totally stupid extrapolation, comparing two totally different scenarios. You should be embarrassed by that nonsense.
What you call nonsense is a statement of the truth.
What am I supposed to do – get down to Gt Portland Street and tape myself wrapped in a flag of St George to the wall of Broadcasting House?
Just a couple of days after the UN’s report and anguished appeal to the whole world do halt the man made famine in Gaza , the R4 Sunday morning flagship ‘Broadcasting House’ programme , did not give it even a passing mention in the hour long programme.
They had Dan Hodges of the Daily Mail crowing how Labour had ‘lost control’ of the asylum hotels ‘riots’ and were desperately trying to catch up with ‘the public mood’.
‘The public mood’ has been shaped by a 3 week relentless daily onslaught of propaganda from the BBC headlining, ‘25,000 this year, ‘50,000 since the election’, 111000 applications – and about the Epping hotel, and other hotels and provocative and incitement from Jenrick, Badenoch, and Farage – incitement by leading politicians which should be criminal offences rather than headline news.
BBC – the bloody bastard genocide-assisting broadcasting company
Richard, prepare to be astonished – i am the grandchild of immigrants and i fully support flying england flags!
My grandparents were post war immigrants, i am proudly english. Why does this astonish you? Oh yes i am white, my grandparents are from eastern europe, so you are making your assumption by the colour of someone’s skin.
Is this how you make your assumptions that inform your output when you out observing the world, as you claim to be an expert in.
People are sick of not being listened to and having their will continually opposed from those above who will not listen, and the wise men, like you, seeking to tell them that they know best, and that any opposing view will be smeared as fascism. The people dont get listened to at the ballot box, you ahve to expect a reaction eventually. I would suggest that flying flags is benign.
For a man of the people, you really ought to go out and meet some people, not selectively, and listen rather than lecture. It may improve your dire output.
I will be replying to this as a blog post.
Your calm implication that the minority that support this sort of vandalism are in fact a majority, when even Reform can’t claim more than 30% & the tories another 17% is bizarre. There is no evidence that most people who might consider voting like this in fact welcome the flying & abuse of the Union flag, or the flag of the patron saint of Palestine. It seems instead to be an attempt by a tiny & thuggish minority to intimidate the actual majority who understand that the NHS & social care could not possibly manage without the immigrants they employ, and regard asylum seekers as deserving a fair chance.
Can I remind you that that’s not even as big a proportion as the one that lost the brexit vote.
It’s very sad to see such unpleasant behaviour being presented by some as patriotic, when the British culture I see around me is based on tolerance, politeness and respect.
I was tempted to end this response with a question as to whether we should “remigrate” those who are not properly British in their attitude (intolerance, rudeness and disrespect could be among the characteristics we don’t need) whose parents were immigrants. But of course that would be in breach of the Human Rights Act, so until that law is removed from the statute book, you are safe.
If, when negotiating one of these defaced mini-roundabouts, I become distracted by these markings and end up colliding with another car or, even worse, hit a pedestrian why should I not sue (or join in as third parties) in negligence those that caused the distraction?
There is actually a video of a person painting one of these. Surely facial recognition should be able to recognise him or her, and the police will be able to prosecute.
[…] had this comment made on the blog today, and it is typical of many others, most of which do not see the light of day. On this occasion, I […]
How’s this for an idea? Fly the St Georges Cross with the caption added – “England welcomes refugees”
Every time the red cross is painted, add the caption – “England welcomes refugees”.
That should piss off the fascists.
That is criminal damage as well.
Proscribing Palestine Action was unbelievably stupid. The aircraft at Brize don’t even belong to the RAF – they’re leased on a long term contract. A much more relevant investigation should be how the sprayers got through the fence.
Holding a homemade sign opposing genocide in support of an organisation which may well be guilty of criminal damage, but is no more a terrorist organisation than the WI, is now an offence under the Terrorism Act. In a previous life, I was in the back row at a couple of highly classified meetings with medium level members of the IRA. They were terrorists. People spraying red paint on leased aircraft are not.
The recent surge in painting the cross of St George on public property is, to my mind, considerably more offensive than spraying an aircraft. At least Palestine Action had a cause reflecting the global outrage at Israel’s genocidal actions. “Raise the flag” might disguise itself as “reclaiming our Englishness” but it is underpinned by racism and thuggery. It uses the flag of a nation to divide, not unite.
Much to agree with
Brilliant. There is already a comment on Arise – Peace and Justice Facebook page that a leading estate agent has confirmed that houses near roundabouts and flags tied to lamp posts will see significant drops in house prices due to clients fear of anti social behaviour with some sales already dropping through!
Post of the day, believe it or not.
I wonder if that estate agent is Hunters, with Tory MP for Malton and Thirsk, Kevin Hollinrake, being worried about his share prices.
“There is an adage in Northern Ireland that one should never buy a house in a street where kerbs are painted, and the practice is said to have an adverse impact on local house prices” – wiki but originally from ‘Belfast News Letter’
The whole thing is very Northern Ireland at its worst and NI is, at least partially, being used as inspiration.
Notorious loyalist Johnny Adair image used to rally people in Britain to start ‘patriotic craze’ of kerb painting
https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/notorious-loyalist-johnny-adair-image-used-to-rally-people-in-britain-to-start-patriotic-craze-of-kerb-painting-ISOBBF7GLBDQXI4FUIJTRISUVY/
It is a specific offence in NI with a fine of up to £500 but very rarely prosecuted, it can also be treated as a hate crime but that normally requires the person reporting it to claim it as such so that is also rare.
an example from 2018
https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/08/09/news/why-are-kerbs-painted-green-white-and-orange-a-hate-crime–1403237/
(one does wonder whether quite the same police effort would have gone into red, white and blue painted ones)
Comedian Jake O’Kane sums up Northern Ireland’s flag obsession in 3 mins.
https://youtu.be/bAvxqGnVO2w?t=5
Thanks
Why?
Because polarisation of society into vehemently opposed camps is a fundamental component of the strategy that is being pursued to achieve the technocratic corporatisation of UK politics and public sector. And because every effort is being made to increase the proportion of society that is aligned to right-wing ideology, because at present the balance is on the other side and divisive governance is easier to achieve with relatively balanced proportions.
You raiseBlog comment creation an important point about how selective enforcement shapes public perception. When some acts of damage are condemned as terrorism while others are tacitly excused, it sends a message about whose voices are deemed threatening and whose are tolerated. That inconsistency doesn’t just undermine trust in the law—it risks normalising intimidation when it aligns with certain political sentiments.
We clearly now have two-tier policing in this ‘marvellous’ country of ours; the UK, I mean, and I assert this ironically, as I’m sure you’ve guessed. Where people are holding up cardboard signs and getting arrested for being terrorists, and the cross of St. George is being displayed, and the denial of its former representation is ignored, then I know this ‘marvellous Great Britain, note the irony again, is on the slide, to who knows where. I am a senior citizen and have lived at a time when we were at our most equal, i.e. 1970s, and what a great time that was. The 1% of the richest individuals since then (post-Thatcher) have and are creating an atmosphere of patronage and hostility to those who are struggling, hence the rise of the demagogues who propound to have easy solutions. This, of course, comes at a time when governments are not embracing and caring for their people. And our wonderful Government (sorry, I can’t help myself), the so-called Labour Party (more irony), have a lot to answer for. I now live in South Wales, having left England in 2022, and what a great move it has been. Here is a totally different and socialistic/community vibe, and of course, The Welsh Dragon carries a much more positive and affirmative message that represents their people. Thank you..
You’re welcome.
I have a lot of affection for Wales.
And Scotland.
And Northern Ireland.
One of my grudges against English people (and I do have them) is that a) the vast majority of English people have never been to these places and so have no idea how great they are, and yet b) think they should all be very grateful to England for supporting them and c) refuse to let them go.