'Unity needed' as union jacks removed from village lamp-posts

A woman who joined dozens of people to remove union jack flags from lamp-posts put up in a Birmingham suburb said people must "fight for unity" following angry scenes in recent days.

People in Moseley came together at the weekend to take down flags erected by Raise the Colours, a group that says it is fighting rising levels of immigration.

The group's Ryan Bridge, of Bromsgrove, denied the actions were racist and insisted the aim was to achieve "patriotism, unity... [and was] bringing communities together".

But Carol Williams said the flags had become "symbols of division" adding that an increase in tensions across the country in recent months had left many wanting to relocate.

West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council are reportedly "monitoring the situation" in Moseley after reports of clashes in recent days.

The BBC has seen a video of a man pushing, shouting and swearing at a group of women who told him they were not happy about the flags being put up.

The "de-flagging" event took place on Sunday in Moseley, an affluent suburb of Birmingham with many independent shops and restaurants.

It also has a diverse population, with more than half of its 21,000 residents from a black, Asian or minority ethnic group.

Bridge said it was one of several areas visited by Raise the Colours, which formed amid the growing trend last summer of flying St George's flags and union jacks from lamp-posts.

The organisation, which regularly posts videos to its 229,000 followers on Facebook, said they received requests from people in towns and cities to put up flags and that donations went towards costs.

Another area visited during 2025 was Stirchley, around a mile from Moseley where some residents and business owners also decided to take flags down.

Bridge told the BBC they did not pick and choose areas, but "when we go to your Stirchley's and your Moseley's, they don't seem to approve - the white, middle class liberal areas don't really like it," he added.

Moseley has long been known as one of the more liberal areas of the city and its residents are used to campaigning, whether that is for a new railway station, the restoration of historic swimming baths or against Costa Coffee moving in.

A huge Palestinian flag flying above coffee shop Cafephilia is testament to the strength of feeling among some in the area about the situation in Gaza.

Williams, who said she planned to stand as an independent candidate for Moseley in the city council elections in May, said Raise the Colours was "deliberately spreading hate and division amongst our community".

"The flags themselves are not racist or non-patriotic, but the intent behind them most definitely is," she told BBC Radio WM.

"People [in Moseley]were saying they really want them to come down.

"I've heard stories of people saying they don't feel safe in the country any more, even perhaps leaving the country because of the increase in tensions that are going on."

She said she was glad people in Moseley had made such a statement, with around 150 turning out for the "de-flagging celebration".

"If they want to fly it on their own property, fair enough, I don't have a problem with that, but imposing those flags on the community is not something that we're going to stand for."

Unnamed group members of Raise the Colours were among 10 British activists, dubbed "far right" by the French government, to be banned from France last month after engaging in actions to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

The activists had been searching for and destroying small boats along France's northern coast, and were involved in "propaganda activity", the French interior ministry said.

Bridge, who has posted videos online of himself in France taking part in the mission to stop the boats, said to see "ultra left-minded people" ripping down the flags was "horrendous".

"We're family-orientated, it's bringing communities together, nothing to do with anything from the far right - I don't know anyone would suggest that putting a flag up in your own country, of your own country is anything far right," he said.

"That's what the problem is."

He added: "We don't mean to upset people... all we're doing is bringing a bit of togetherness because we feel our government and previous governments aren't doing the jobs they should be doing."

Addressing his stance on immigration around migrant hotels and asylum seekers he added: "If you come in through the front door legally with papers and documentation... then happy days.

"But if you come in through the back door illegally, then its wrong.

"Is it illegal putting an article up on a lamp-post? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but it makes us feel better."

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