Rushmoor residents have celebrated a “victory for flags” after winning a battle with their local authority who threatened to impose an “anti-flag motion” on the area.
Jez Stocking and Erica Mellett joined GB News to laud the local councillors who voted down plans to remove Union Flags around Farnborough and Aldershot in the south east.
Kicking off around mid-July, Operation Raise the Colours has seen swathes of the nation plastered with the Union Jack and St George’s cross.
Since, a slew of councils have ordered the flags to be taken down.
While plenty of patriotic Britons view the flags as a physical manifestation of national pride, others have increasingly linked the flags with anti-immigration protests across the country – deeming the flag a racist symbol.
“We were over the moon, really. Really, really happy,” Mr Stocking told Martin, beaming while he spoke about Rushmoor Council’s decision.
“It’s just a fantastic news. I’d like to congratulate, actually, a lot of the councillors, really, they saw sense, the Labour lot.
“They knew that if they took down the flags, it would actually cause more division in a town that has had a lot of divide over the last few years.
The pair thanked the People’s Channel for ‘shining a spotlight’ on their local flag fiasco
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GB NEWS
“Hopefully being the home of the British Army, we can inspire groups all over the country just to say, look, we want more than we’re getting out of life.
“We massively thank GB News for putting us on and just showing others that protests, raising the flag, just doing it in a good way, bringing in locals.
“We are a local protest group. We don’t have any of these huge protests where there’s thousands of people. We literally have 50 to 100 locals that say we’ve had enough in our town.
“We want Aldershot to represent the home of the British Army, and we just want to all locals to be joined together. And the flag is that representation.”
FLAGS IN BRITAIN – READ MORE:
Operation Riaise the Colours began back in July
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PA
Ms Mellett, who is also a part of the Pink Lady movement, a protest group to promote women’s safety, also signalled that the flag victory was a moment of jubilation for the broader movement.
“The Pink Ladies have really empowered so many individuals that have come out and the feeling of safety in our local areas of going out on your own, with your girls, with your sisters, your aunties, your uncles.
“Having the blokes with you and standing next to us is really empowering. And, thanks to Rushmoor Council, there were so many well-spoken words that were said in positiveness for the flags.”
Ms Mellett said that certain councillors even mentioned that they wanted more flags hoisted around town which she said was “very, very encouraging”.
She added: “Thank you to GB News to shine the spotlight on this, not just for the protest, but the flags too, and across the nation.
“Britain is is a wonderful country. It always has been a wonderful country. It’s been a welcoming country. And we want it to stay that way.
“It’s not about anything other than being British. And we want to keep our culture strong.”
She lauded flying flags as a reliable method to voice opinions without taking more controversial action, such as blocking roads.