The main issue is quite simply that a small minority of people are hanging flags ostensibly as an act of patriotism but in reality as a gesture of protest and hostility towards asylum seekers. In the south of Islington it has saliency because the Thistle hotel on Central St has about 600 young me.
My son and his friends were racially harassed over this at the weekend and just threatened again today “we know where you live” violent threats against him.
they are islington residents and object to the flags - because they are intimidating- the people putting them up called my son “a mongrel”
They are making violent, racist threats against anyone who objects to their lamppost scent marking. Not acceptable.
The Council is removing flags from lap-posts. However, Council workers have received threats whilst doing this.
the flag mongers said they will be out again tonight putting the flags up - the police say it’s a council issue - so ….
The council probably aren't going to do anything, at least not quickly. I'm outraged by the vitriol directed at your son but heartened that there are people out there prepared to stand up to these people. What next, though? Tribune?
Council staff have begun to remove flags from lamp-posts. However they have received threats.
This is good to know, thank you. I'm sorry anyone is being abused for doing their job. We must stand together as a community against the hate mongers.
I am very sorry this has happened. There is a minority of people who are openly racist who are now emboldened by a hate-filled rhetoric from people like Jenrick and Farage and cynically exploiting public concern about asylum seekers being housed long-term in hotels.
… These young men are being held in limbo whilst a dysfunctional system fails to process their asylum claim. A hangover from the last Govt that allowed backlogs to build up but a problem the current Govt appears slow in solving although the number of hotels being used has almost halved in a year.
But keeping 600 young men for many months in a hotel with nothing to do is seemingly the source of some tension locally. Extremists are then exploiting this situation, threatening violence and the result is that, over a wider area, many of our residents feel unsafe.
Thank you, Paul. I am aware of the national issues, & appreciate the local context. The extremists revel in symbolism. As a local resident, I would rather the council invoke the bylaws as a means of showing solidarity with those who are being so appallingly treated in places like the Thistle.