A recent confrontation in Diss has highlighted how the flying of national flags has become a flashpoint in Norfolk. Three women attempting to remove flags from lampposts in Park Road were met by a group of angry teenagers on bikes and on foot. The women carried a ladder and were trying to detach the banners when they were pursued, shouted at and filmed.
One boy was heard saying: “Put that flag back now you f*****g immigrants”*, while others accused the women of being “dirty people” and claimed immigrants were “taking over this town”.
The women attempted to calm the situation, responding: “Don’t worry, you don’t need to be angry. Happy to have a conversation with you.” But the group continued to follow them, shouting: “Why are you taking English flags down? This is our country.”
The women eventually headed towards Diss police station as cars and a van slowed alongside them, their occupants jeering. At the station door, one man confronted them: “Leave the flags alone please… why are you not British… silly ladies.”
Police response under scrutiny
Norfolk Police confirmed they were called to Victoria Road and spoke to both groups, but no action was taken. The women later claimed officers accused them of “causing trouble”, raising concerns about how the force is handling these volatile situations.
James Harvey, a Green Party councillor for Broadland, condemned the incident. “I can only imagine how terrified the three women in Diss must have felt, when they were surrounded and pursued,” he said. “Threatening and abusive behaviour is neither acceptable nor legal. Disturbingly, the women were accused by police of ‘causing trouble’ while no action was taken against the mob that harassed them.”
Harvey warned that without firmer policing, “it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt”.
A county-wide problem
This is not an isolated incident. Flags have been appearing across Norfolk, from Dereham Road in Norwich to smaller market towns. In some places, they have been linked to protests outside hotels used to house asylum seekers, including the Park Hotel in Diss.
While those erecting the flags insist they are symbols of pride and unity, critics argue they are being used as a tool of intimidation.
Clashes between residents, campaigners and so-called “flaggers” have become increasingly common, raising questions about whether authorities are doing enough to defuse tensions.
Labour calls for zero tolerance
The dispute has now reached Norfolk County Council. Labour councillors tabled a motion calling for a “zero-tolerance approach to the misuse of flags” and urging the Conservative-led authority to take stronger action.
Steve Morphew, leader of the Labour group, said: “In Norfolk there is no place for abuse. No room for hate. Only space for dignity, fairness, compassion and respect. We reject hate in all its forms, and we embrace values of dignity, fairness, compassion and respect.”
The motion called on the council to launch a “No Place for Hate” campaign, work with police and schools to promote solidarity, and establish a protocol for removing flags and symbols calculated to intimidate.
Although Conservative councillors have resisted such proposals, arguing it is impractical to remove flags except during routine maintenance, the debate reflects growing unease across the county.
Growing division
For many, the row is not about the flags themselves but what they have come to represent.
Critics fear they are being deployed as symbols of division, tied to anti-immigrant rhetoric and online mobilisation. The confrontation in Diss illustrated how quickly small groups can be summoned through social media, escalating already tense situations.
Cllr Harvey warns: “Behaviour that would have been unacceptable just six months ago is now being normalised. Violence, threats, and intimidation are unacceptable, whichever side you are on. Norfolk deserves better.”
As Labour councillors push for a county-wide stance against intimidation, and residents continue to challenge the spread of flags in their towns, the issue shows no sign of fading. Instead, it has become emblematic of wider national divides over identity, belonging and the boundaries between patriotism and provocation.
This article is based on two pieces by Local Democracy Reporting, compiled by Chat GPT and edited by East Anglia Bylines.
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