Flagging authority

Our most illiberal-ever Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has sent out guidance to chief constables on policing pro-Palestinian demonstrations. 

Yes, Cruella is at it again, this time suggesting that waving the Palestinian flag may constitute a public order offence. She writes: "Behaviours that are legitimate in some circumstances, for example the waving of a Palestinian flag, may not be legitimate such as when intended to glorify acts of terrorism". Go figure!

I'd be prepared to bet that the police will interpret this as a blanket instruction to seize all Palestinan flags on sight. And, indeed, why would they not? Our already overstretched police officers haven't got time to interrogate people's motives on the streets: "excuse me, Sir/Madam/Mx, are you legitimately waving that flag or are you intending to glorify acts of terrorism?" Ridiculous. I suppose the proper response in such circumstances should be "whose acts of terrorism might you be referring to, officer?"

Of course, I'm being deliberately controversial here. Much as I empathise with the Gazan Palestinians in their current plight and despise Hamas as much as Benjamin Netanyahu for their actions, I would never wilfully insult or attack the Jewish community in the UK. They, for their part, should understand the democratic right to peaceful protest in this country and respect my right to wave the internationally recognised flag of Palestine should I wish. Nor should the police seek to second guess my motives for doing so.

In reality, I won't by waving a Palestinian flag, flying it from my balcony or wearing it as a pin badge. To do so would be inflammatory and, goodness knows, the situation is incendiary enough already. I have an aversion to flags per se and flag-waving even more so. They promote tribalism and the only flags I have ever felt comfortable marching under are the rainbow flag and that of the EU. I wear a pin badge of the gold stars on a deep blue ground and the Union flag crossed as a poignant reminder of what we as a country lost at Brexit. Otherwise, I would never display the Union flag, the English flag of St George or any other nationalist symbol.

Flags are divisive by design. Historically, they were used on battlefields and by navies at sea to distinguish, and differentiate between, warring factions. As such, they are, metaphorically and sometimes literally, soaked in blood. Yet politicians love to wrap themselves in them. "Patriotism, the last refuge of the scoundrel" as Dr Samuel Johnson mordantly observed of William Pitt (The Elder).

If the Palestinian flag flies, let it be at half mast, in mourning. As John Milton wrote in his poem Samson Agonistes:

Gaza yet stands, but all her Sons are fall'n,
All in a moment overwhelm'd and fall'n.

But Gaza may not stand much longer.

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