Farage calls flag displays a 'two‑fingered salute' to leaders and says 'patriotism is back'

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the recent spread of Union Jack and St George flags across Britain was a “two‑fingered salute to our gutless leaders” and declared “patriotism is back”, as politicians and police responded to a large, at times violent, weekend demonstration in central London.

The comments come after a coordinated campaign called Operation Raise the Colours saw flags placed in towns and cities including Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich and on the Isle of Wight. The flag displays coincided with a rally organised by activist Tommy Robinson on Saturday in which organisers and police estimated around 150,000 people marched through central London under slogans critical of current border policies.

Metropolitan Police said officers faced “unacceptable violence” while policing the demonstration. Police reported 26 officers injured, including broken teeth, a possible broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc and a head injury, and said officers had been kicked, punched and struck by bottles, flares and other projectiles. Downing Street and senior Met commanders publicly condemned the attacks on officers.

Farage, writing in The Sun, described most participants as “ordinary decent people” and said he had distanced himself from Robinson and from the attacks on police. He wrote: “We have had enough of being called far‑right simply because we believe in tough border controls and our national identity.” He added: “We have had enough of gutless leaders who put the will of foreign courts above our national interest.”

A Downing Street spokesperson reiterated the government’s support for free speech while acknowledging some people may have felt intimidated by scenes from the weekend. A spokesperson for Labour leader and prime minister Keir Starmer said the prime minister supports free speech but that there would be people who “will have seen the scenes at the weekend and feel intimidated and scared because of their background, the colour of their skin.”

Organisers described Operation Raise the Colours as a grassroots effort to display national flags in public spaces in defiance of local bans. Posts on social media accompanying images of streets hung with flags said participants refused “to be bullied” and were “proud of our country”, language echoed by some marchers at Saturday’s demonstration.

Metropolitan Police said they had been out in large numbers to manage the protest and were investigating the assaults on officers and other alleged offences. The force has not released an overall figure for arrests related to Saturday’s events.

The rally drew widespread attention from political figures and media outlets, and local councils reported residents both supporting and opposing the flag displays. Authorities and community leaders warned that while public displays of national symbols are lawful, they can also provoke heightened tensions when organised as part of political campaigns.

The weekend’s events have intensified debates in the United Kingdom over immigration, national identity and public order. Political leaders from across the spectrum condemned violence at the march, and police said they would pursue investigations into offences committed during the protest.