The chief of a flag marketing campaign group has been arrested on suspicion of inflicting religiously and racially aggravated harassment.
Ryan Bridge is the co-founder of Elevate the Colors, which has put up a whole bunch of union and Saint George flags throughout England and attracted criticism for spreading anti-immigrant rhetoric. He was arrested on Tuesday and launched on police bail the next day.
In current days, the Elevate the Colors group has posted a number of movies of its members erecting flags in Oxfordshire. On Monday, Oxfordshire county council issued a authorized discover banning the group from placing up flags, arguing it was an “act of intimidation and division”.
In a video posted on Fb after his launch, Bridge stated: “I’ve simply been set free – 18-and-a-half hours for a public order part 5 inflicting individuals alarm and misery. The world’s gone mad.
“Me placing the flag up in my nation is inflicting alarm and misery to sure members of the general public. It’s an absolute shame … we’ve acquired to march on, we’ve acquired to battle on. We’ve acquired a battle on our palms.”
Ryan Bridge from Elevate the Colors speaks throughout a protest in East Sussex in January.
He stated his bail situations included a ban on visiting Oxfordshire.
Thames Valley police confirmed {that a} 44-year-old male from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, was arrested at about 8.40pm on Tuesday.
In an announcement, the police stated: “Final week, Thames Valley police launched an investigation following reviews of incidents of public order offences on Abingdon Highway, Oxford.
“Officers are investigating these public order offences and have arrested a 44-year-old man from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, on suspicion of inflicting racially and religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or misery. He has been launched on police bail.”
Oxfordshire county council issued a proper authorized discover to Elevate the Colors on Monday to “cease a specified exercise” in response to the group’s “continued inserting of flags throughout Oxfordshire”.
The chief of the council, the Liberal Democrat councillor Liz Leffman, stated the “scale and persistence of this exercise is affecting communities throughout Oxfordshire” and residents have reported feeling “distressed, unwelcome and unsafe”.
“The widespread set up of flags by Elevate the Colors isn’t an indication of patriotism. It’s an act of intimidation and division that’s having an actual and damaging affect on our communities,” Leffman stated.
“Our groups eradicating the flags, along with residents who’ve challenged the people putting in them, have been topic to abuse and threatening behaviour. That is completely unacceptable.”
The council stated it will contemplate all choices, together with civil and legal proceedings, if the group didn’t adjust to the letter.
Elevate the Colors has been contacted for remark.
