A number of St George’s Cross and Union Jack flags have been put up around Oxford city centre over the last week, with a great number along St Aldate’s. These flags were erected by members of the organisation ‘Raise the Colours Oxfordshire’, an arm of the ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ movement. A number of flags have also been placed in surrounding areas, including Headington and Iffley.
The group behind these flags, Raise the Colours Oxfordshire, posts about their activities through Facebook, where they provide their reasons for flag-flying: “Oxfordshire [sic] it’s time to show the government we’ve had enough, it’s time to raise the colours. We want to show the government that enough is enough, this is Britain and we need to put our mothers and daughters’ [sic] safety first.”
The erection of Union Jack and St George’s Cross flags across Oxford continues a national trend that has been ongoing since last year. The movement is called ‘Operation Raise the Colours’, and its initiative to raise national flags is generally organised on a local level. Larger-scale organisations have also been set up as part of the campaign, including ‘Raise the Colours’, a Birmingham-based organisation founded by Ryan Bridge and Elliott Stanley. They state that their motivation for flying national flags is to help people “feel connected, energised, and united”. The organisation’s website states that “patriotism should be visible, positive and inclusive”, and that “our flags are not about division — they are about belonging, togetherness, and celebrating the identity we hold in common. By raising the colours, we raise a message of unity and determination that can be seen on every street.”
Flag Force Plymouth, an organisation similarly focused on putting flags up, also claims that their motivation is to be inclusive, stating that “Our mission is simple: unite our community through a shared sense of pride and belonging. Every flag we raise—from street corners to skylines—reminds us we’re part of something greater than ourselves.”
In spite of these claims of inclusivity, many individuals who have aligned themselves with Operation Raise the Colours have expressed anti-immigration sentiments. In a YouTube video published by the Raise the Colours channel, Ryan Bridge is seen on a beach on the French coast, shouting at migrants who are boarding a small boat set for England. He calls them “potential rapists” and “murderers”, shouting that “We do not want these people in our country”. Similarly, Andrew Currien (who goes by Andy Saxon online) who claims on his X page to be a co-founder of Operation Raise the Colours, and has posted in support of it, is head of security for far-right party Britain First, and a former bodyguard of Stephen Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League.
Some of the key figures within the Raise the Colours Oxfordshire group have expressed similar anti-migrant sentiments. Kevin Good, who spent 9 years in prison for assaulting a petrol station worker, is an administrator of the group, and has posted in support of mass deportation. Ben Cullen, another admin, who pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and administering a noxious substance with intent, after pepper spraying an individual in a Wallingford pub, has posted videos of himself with his arm around Ryan Bridge. He has also posted a video of Tommy Robinson claiming that London is 33% English, and that this has resulted in cultural decline.
There has been pushback in Oxford City Centre against the flags, with signs saying “Oxford welcomes all” and “Everyone is welcome here” being affixed to many of the lampposts where the Union Jack and St George’s Cross flags had been flown. Notably, however, some of these signs have been removed.
This comes after the Oxford branch of Stand up to Racism called for the removal of the flags, describing it as a “racist flag campaign”. Meanwhile, Oxfordshire County Council has spoken out against flags being displayed on lampposts, on the basis that “placing flags or painting them on or near highways can create serious safety hazards”.
A Labour councillor has spoken to The Oxford Blue about “the line that Labour is taking in Oxford”. They said that “Intent is important – these were put up with the intent to intimidate people”. They continued by saying that “After a couple of weeks, all these flags cable tied to lampposts look pretty grubby and torn and personally I think thats [sic] a pretty disrespectful thing to do to our flag. Don’t even get me started on the ones hung upside down.” They also stressed that “Council staff are getting intimidated and sometimes attacked taking these down which is 100% not on”.
The councillor concluded by saying that “we’re all paying for this and I’d prefer if people’s time, energy and taxes went on lifting us all up and making our community better places to live. Pick up some litter, report some fly-tipping or graffiti, help out at a community centre or event.
“Don’t put up a bunch of cheap flags 5m up a lamppost to get torn and grubby and call it patriotism. Because it isn’t. Actually doing something to make our country better is patriotism.”