York’s council leader is to make her strongest statement yet on the flagging campaign in the city.
Labour leader Claire Douglas is to condemn the “agitators” who are “attempting to drive division and discord” in her speech at full council next week.
It comes as the authority continues to take down the flags that have been attached to hundreds of lampposts in York in recent weeks.
In her report to next Thursday’s meeting, the City of York Council leader says: “It has been a challenging few months in our city.
“We have seen agitators in our communities attempting to drive division and discord.
“I am proud to say that York is standing up to this, standing by our neighbours and our communities to say ‘fly our flags with respect, pride and patriotism in the right way, on flag poles and not on lampposts’.
“The flags illegally erected are coming down and I would like to thank the myriad of people, and community groups across our city who have stood by those who have felt or been threatened and targeted by racist and divisive individuals.
“We have collectively said, these actions are not patriotism, they are not York, and we will not stand for it in our beloved city.”
She said the We Are York community gathering in St Sampson’s Square last month showed the city “standing together, in unity against division, intimidation, racism and hate crime”.
Groups including Flag Force and Operation Raise the Colours are among those who have organised the flagging campaign.
They have previously said their campaign aims to foster unity in communities through the display of the Union and St George’s flags, with their volunteers doing litter-picking and other activities.
And their spokesperson added their supporters were tired of being called racist for wanting to fly national flags in their own city.
