UK police ban muslims from carrying national flags

Police in Britain have banned Muslims from carrying national flags at a series of celebrations later this month, it emerged today.

They claimed the waving of flags during the Eid-ul-Adha celebrations in Southall, London would increase tensions and said those who persisted may be arrested for breaching the peace.

The move was criticised by the Muslim Council of Britain. Sadiq Khan, chairman of the council’s legal affairs committee, said: “This is the first time I can recall someone being prohibited from waving a national flag in a public place, other than a sports occasion, in the mainland UK.

“I can’t see the legal justification for this. If it is the case that the police are concerned to prevent anti-social behaviour then the way to do that is to stop people firing fireworks after midnight or beeping their horns late at night.

“I’m unclear how the carrying of national flags causes anti-social behaviour and I think it’s slightly odd. Whether you agree or disagree with the way people celebrate a festival they are not doing anything against the law.”

Police in the London borough of Ealing, who made the request for no flags, said the celebrations on January 21 and 22 were faith celebrations and therefore had no link to any national flag.

They said if anyone did bring a national flag to the celebrations they would assess whether it was going to cause a breach of the peace. If they then refused to put the flag away it might be confiscated and given back to them at the end of the celebrations.

A police spokesman said: “Persistent breach of the peace may lead to an arrest. Local community representatives have been consulted on our policing strategy. They fully support our tackling of anti-social behaviour to help preserve the dignity of this religious occasion.

“In the past, incidents have shown that the waving of national flags at celebrations of events like National Independence Days, cricket matches or religious festivals have caused distress and disruption to the community."