UK flag-raising group leader arrested on suspicion of causing ‘alarm and distress’

The leader of a flag campaign group has been arrested on suspicion of causing religiously and racially aggravated harassment.Ryan Bridge is the co-founder of Raise the Colours, which has put up hundreds of union and Saint George flags across England and attracted criticism for spreading anti-immigrant rhetoric. He was arrested on Tuesday and released on police bail the following day.In recent days, the Raise the Colours group has posted several videos of its members erecting flags in Oxfordshire. On Monday, Oxfordshire-county-council" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="89329" data-entity-type="organization">Oxfordshire County Council issued a legal notice banning the group from putting up flags, arguing it was an “act of intimidation and division”.In a video posted on Facebook after his release, Bridge said: “I’ve just been let out – 18-and-a-half hours for a public order section 5 causing people alarm and distress. The world’s gone mad.“Me putting the flag up in my country is causing alarm and distress to certain members of the public. It’s an absolute disgrace … we’ve got to march on, we’ve got to fight on. We’ve got a fight on our hands.”He said his bail conditions 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 a statement, the police said: “Last week, Thames Valley Police launched an investigation following reports of incidents of public order offences on Abingdon Road, Oxford.“Officers are investigating those public order offences and have arrested a 44-year-old man from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, on suspicion of causing racially and religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. He has been released on police bail.”Oxfordshire-county-council" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="89329" data-entity-type="organization">Oxfordshire County Council issued a formal legal notice to Raise the Colours on Monday to “stop a specified activity” in response to the group’s “continued placing of flags across Oxfordshire”.The leader of the council, the Liberal Democrat councillor Liz Leffman, said the “scale and persistence of this activity is affecting communities across Oxfordshire” and residents have reported feeling “distressed, unwelcome and unsafe”.“The widespread installation of flags by Raise the Colours is not a sign of patriotism. It is an act of intimidation and division that is having a real and damaging impact on our communities,” Leffman said.“Our teams removing the flags, together with residents who have challenged the individuals installing them, have been subject to abuse and threatening behaviour. This is totally unacceptable.”The council said it would consider all options, including civil and criminal proceedings, if the group did not comply with the letter.Raise the Colours has been contacted for comment.