Palestine Flags Allowed to Fly as British Flag Confiscated During Anti-Migrant Demonstration, Triggering Nationwide Debate
A Northumbria Police officer faces mounting criticism after forcibly snatching a Union Jack flag from a 16-year-old girl’s hands during Saturday’s anti-migrant demonstration in Newcastle city centre, whilst Palestine flags were permitted to fly freely at counter-protests, sparking fresh accusations of “two-tier policing” across Britain.
The incident, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has ignited a fierce debate about police impartiality and comes amid Operation Raise the Colours, a controversial nationwide movement that has seen communities across Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich, Manchester and the Isle of Wight hanging British flags in their streets as displays of national pride.
Hundreds of protesters marched through Newcastle on Saturday, September 27, citing what they described as the government’s failure to address illegal immigration. The demonstration, organised by UKIP supporters calling for “mass deportations,” was met by a significant counter-protest from Stand Up to Racism, with heavy police presence attempting to maintain order between the opposing groups.
UKIP’s leader Nick Tenconi declared at the protest: “This is the ninth crusade, it is a holy war, this is a spiritual war, and we are taking our country back.” Three arrests were made for breach of the peace as tensions escalated between the rival demonstrations.
The Controversial Incident
Video footage shows the teenage girl standing on a table, proudly waving the Union Jack flag in front of counter-protesters. A female police officer initially attempted to speak with her before a male Police Liaison Officer intervened, swooping in to grab the flag from the girl’s hands.
The teenager can be seen clutching her flag tightly as the officer yanked it away before walking off, whilst the policewoman held her back. Boos and cries of anger erupted from the crowd as the person filming demanded: “Why did you do that?”
The stony-faced Police Liaison Officer appeared to reply: “Because you’re being a div.” When asked if the girl would get her flag back, he responded bluntly: “She’s not getting it, no.”
The incident has prompted widespread condemnation on social media, with one user on X writing: “But don’t you dare fly the English flag or Union Jack!!!! Two tier policing is alive and well throughout the UK.”
Another commented: “Yes, this is two tier policing. They wouldn’t dare go near anyone with a Palestine Flag, let alone snatch it from them. To go after a young white girl with a Union Jack is pure and utter cowardice and such appalling policing. What a tough guy, eh…”
A third person wrote: “Had it been a Palestinian flag or any other flag the police would have done nothing,” whilst another asked pointedly: “Whose side are the police on?”
One international observer commented: “I find this difficult to believe that police in Britain violently remove UK flag. A once great nation brought low. Sigh.”
Police Response and Justification
In a statement addressing the controversy, Northumbria Police said: “We are aware of video clips circulating online in relation to an officer removing a flag from someone during protest activity in Newcastle on Saturday (August 27). It is important that these are put into context. To help keep people safe and minimise disruption, orders were put in place designating where protest activity could be held.”
The force explained: “Key to this was maintaining an area between protest groups. From the video, it appears that when a small number of people became close to a much larger protest group, action was taken to deescalate tensions and help ensure the safety of all present. We can confirm the flag was later returned.”
The statement continued: “We have received a number of complaints in relation to this matter, which will be looked into. Throughout the day, officers responded to both planned and spontaneous protest activity and we will be reviewing what happened to identify any potential learning.”
Northumbria Police concluded: “We recognise the right to lawful protest is the key part of democracy which policing will uphold. In doing so the safety of everyone is our utmost priority and the activity on Saturday passed mainly without incident.”
International Reaction and Cultural Context
Victoria Churchill, the Daily Mail’s US Political Reporter, expressed shock at the incident this week, stating she “couldn’t imagine this happening in the US.”
Churchill added: “I think I read some additional reporting on this that they allow just about every other country’s flag except the Union Jack in the UK. And I think pride in your country, whether that’s in the US or in the UK, should not be a controversial thing.”
Churchill praised the young girl for “standing up for her values,” saying: “Wanting to stand for the values that you were brought up with and wanting to carry them on into the next generation, especially younger voters, I think that that is a welcoming thing to see.”
She continued: “Because so many youth, again, whether that’s in the US or the UK, are being brainwashed into this multiculturalism, they are seeing the negatives of it, but of course, there’s positives to it as well.”
Operation Raise the Colours Movement
The Newcastle incident occurs within the broader context of Operation Raise the Colours, a 2025 campaign group that advocates displaying the Union Flag and the Saint George’s Cross in public places, which began in August 2025 and has aroused controversy around the Flag of England due to its history of use by anti-immigration nationalists.
The campaign was co-founded by Andrew Currien, also known as Andy Saxon, who has alleged links to the English Defence League and Britain First. The movement has involved activists tying flags to lampposts and street furniture, as well as painting them onto mini-roundabouts and zebra crossings.
The campaign has been supported by several figures and organisations associated with the far-right, including the fascist political party Britain First and the anti-Islam campaigner Tommy Robinson, though it has also found support from members of the Conservative Party, Reform UK and the Labour Party.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has been particularly vocal in supporting the movement, calling for Britain to “be one country, united under one flag” and branding councils that remove flags as “Britain-hating councils. He was photographed in Newark hoisting Union Jacks on lampposts as part of the campaign.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman confirmed that the PM “absolutely” supports people raising English flags, stating: “We put up English flags all around Downing Street every time the English football team, women’s and men’s are out, trying to win games for us.” However, the government has stopped short of commenting on individual incidents.
School Controversy Adds Fuel to Debate
The flag debate has been further inflamed by a separate incident at Broadoak School in Partington, Greater Manchester, where a teacher allegedly told pupils that the St George’s flag was being used to make “asylum seekers feel unwelcome,” though the teacher clarified: “We are not saying that the England flag is an inherently racist symbol.
The school has reportedly launched an investigation following complaints from parents, with one father arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker when he joined others to complain at the school on Monday. The parent, who was detained for eight hours before being released without charge, said he had gone to remove his 12-year-old daughter because of concerns she would be branded “racist.”
The father-of-two revealed that both he and his daughter had attended protests at the Cresta Court Hotel in nearby Altrincham, which houses asylum seekers. He said: “She’s been with me and made good friends there. We stand united for the country. She’s with mixed race children there. We just want what’s best for our country and our people ultimately.”
He added: “People are suffering, without any help for heating. The whole country is struggling. Bills are going up and everyone is struggling and feeling the effects.”
Growing National Tensions
A poll published by non-profit More in Common found three in five Britons want to see more flags flying in public places, though attitudes remain divided, particularly regarding the St George’s Cross.
Immigration has now become the top issue for voters in England, having overtaken the cost-of-living crisis, with Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, becoming the most popular political party according to recent polls. Farage recently pledged to deport 600,000 people if he wins the next election in 2029.
The debate has exposed deep divisions about British identity and patriotism. Academic Kehinde Andrews argued that Saint George’s Cross was a “clear symbol of racism” because of its use by far-right anti-immigration activists, whilst singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri countered that the flag can be reclaimed despite its racial connotations.
Several local councils, including Birmingham City Council, Tower Hamlets London Borough Council, and City of York Council, have removed flags citing safety concerns and lack of permission, further fuelling accusations of anti-British sentiment and “two-tier” treatment.
What This Means for Britain
The Newcastle incident has crystallised concerns about police impartiality and the treatment of patriotic symbols in modern Britain. The sight of a police officer forcibly removing a Union Jack from a teenage girl whilst allowing other political flags to fly has become a powerful symbol for those who believe authorities apply different standards based on political ideology.
As Operation Raise the Colours continues to spread across the country and immigration remains the top concern for voters, the debate over flags has become a proxy for deeper questions about British identity, multiculturalism, and who has the right to define patriotism in 2025.
The investigation into the Newcastle incident and multiple complaints received by Northumbria Police may determine whether this was an isolated case of poor judgement or evidence of a systemic approach to policing that treats national symbols differently from other political expressions. Either way, the image of a British police officer confiscating the Union Jack from a young girl has already become a defining moment in the ongoing culture wars dividing the nation.
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