British artists reclaim St George’s flag with a message of inclusivity

<p>In Manchester and beyond creative responses to the unwelcome message of ‘raise the colours’ are appearing</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/21/readers-polarised-unite-the-kingdom-rally">‘Scary’ and ‘I loved it’: the ‘unite the kingdom’ march</a></p></li></ul><p>Artists in Britain have customised St George’s flags with messages celebrating diversity, in response to a campaign in which national banners have been flown from lamp-posts, outside homes and painted on roundabouts.</p><p>While for many, flying the flag is a genuine expression of national pride, some flags have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/16/for-some-minority-britons-the-unite-the-kingdom-rally-shows-far-right-politics-is-becoming-legitimised">graffitied on businesses and places of worship</a> belonging to minority ethnic Britons, in some cases with slurs, after the launch of the operation “raise the colours”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/21/british-artists-reclaim-st-georges-flag-inclusivity">Continue reading...</a>