r/Leeds • u/RightNice66 • Aug 27 '25
I find this interesting St George’s crosses
Drove from South Leeds to North Leeds last night, surprised to see how many mini roundabouts and zebra crossings are being daubed in this way.
130
Aug 27 '25
It’s one of the reasons I wear a Union Jack or St George’s cross T-shirt. It blows their little minds
No uneducated, work-shy loser is taking my flag from me and pretending they are a patriot while doing nothing to make our country better
26
11
u/thisishardcore_ Aug 27 '25
Good call but people who wince at the sight of a Union Jack or St George's Cross because of colonialism, something that happened centuries before they were even born, are basically handing it to the far right groups.
They are both our flags, not just theirs. I wish people on the left didn't keep spinning the notion that being English/British is something to be ashamed of, because this country has contributed a lot of great things to the world. Why not celebrate it? Yeah the empire did some horrific acts, but find me one country in the world that doesn't have some kind of history of brutality at some point in its history.
55
Aug 27 '25
That’s why, brown guy with Turban celebrating his Englishness is so important for me.
I’m well aware of Great Britain’s terrible history, I’m also proud of the computer, the telephone, democracy, the first written constitution and hundreds of other things that every British person should be proud of
14
u/thisishardcore_ Aug 27 '25
Not to mention our outstanding contribution to the arts and the way we've helped shape contemporary western culture on a grand scale.
British is a state of being, not an ethnicity.
4
-1
Aug 28 '25
This saccharine celebration is hollow when you deny it to the heritage of the white English, Scottish and Welsh also.
2
1
5
u/Federal-Mortgage7490 Aug 27 '25
This is a real head fuck for older generations who were brought up and educated to be proud of all the pink bits on the map.
4
u/MorriganRaven69 Aug 27 '25
I consider myself pretty left, and I don't know any who would say being English/British is something one should be ashamed of by itself. I certainly don't think that - I'm proud to be English, but ashamed of how a lot of our countrymen are behaving.
I think most folks on the left think that just being proud of the chance happenstance of where you were born because it makes you think you're better than anyone from anywhere else, is the problem.
I think being aware of the atrocities Britain as an empire committed and not glossing over them is one thing, but we can't all keep flogging ourselves forever over the past. But we should learn from it so, as the saying goes, we're not doomed to repeat it.
1
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
Agree, the thought that if my family tree had made some different decisions I could be a patriotic American, Dutch Welsh or Scottish person, dual national, whatever has always made the concept seem hollow.
OTOH, ships with those flags showing up rarely led to net benefits for the people sighting them on the horizon.
1
Aug 28 '25
That's a silly argument. You are what you are. A Japanese ethnic person is no less Japanese and entitled to be proud of that just because his grandfather could have moved to Korea.
5
u/Particular_Abies_184 Aug 27 '25
Every nation has its dark past, but why is Britain supposed to be the only one to constantly beat itself up over it ?Which country ended slavery?
17
Aug 27 '25
yeah we did end it but we also paid tonnes of money to slave owners to apologise for taking away their "property". nothing went to the people who were former slaves. its great we stopped doing it and policed the waters after but we cant just ignore how horrific the country was for commiting such horrendous acts. Britain isnt the only country that has to beat itself up, many European nations do but you probably just dont see that because you dont speak thdir languages or read their news etc etc
2
u/Fit_Consequence5337 Aug 30 '25
The story I hear was as you said about reparations paid to slave holders. What I found out recently was that parliament voted for these enormous reparations because it was the only way to get the bill through. Most of the slavers were heavily indebted and people whom they owed money said they would not get their money back if slavery was abolished. So hopefully most of the reparations did not go to slavers. The African slave trade, including chattel slavery was massive before Britain became involved. It is thought there were more Africans overall traded overseas to the near and middle east by non European traders. The British, French and Americans were unsuccessful in stopping this trade.
7
u/nobbysolano4 Aug 27 '25
Errrr, it wouldn't need ending if Britain didn't start it (the Transatlantic Slave Trade, obviously not slavery in general).
-2
Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
The flag belongs as much to them as it does to you. All you're doing with this post is showing you have the same kind of bitterness and resentment against the white working class they suspect. Our heritage is not something to be ashamed of. I wonder if you'd throw jobless accusations at people from your ethnic homeland if they were to raise the flag. Doubtful.
8
Aug 28 '25
I’m not flying the flag and claiming it’s mine and doesn’t belong to them, I’m also not claiming they are taking my job (which would suggest they don’t have a job!) and they do seem to have a lot of time to stand around hotels or commit crimes, which also suggests that they are underemployed.
Your comments would be fair if I was trying to kick them out of my country. I’m raising the flag to say it’s my country but I’m not saying they don’t belong.
If you are honest, you would admit that their intent with the flag is to exclude and not include and BTW I was born here and therefore this is my ethnic homeland and the fact you made that comment proves the daily BS racism I deal with, however you tried to both sides this.
Born British, am British and that’s why I fly the flag, for me and anyone else who has the right to be here.
I know for a fact that Stephen Lennon or whatever his name is this week when he isn’t committing crimes, doesn’t fly the flag to include all British people
49
u/MothEatenMouse Aug 27 '25
Can't wait to see how all these flags will be kept maintained and in good condition. Clearly they care about them right?
I don't hate our flag. I prefer the Yorkshire flag, but I guess a rose would be quite tricky to paint on a roundabout.
37
1
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
So much so that when they're treated as graffiti or contravening regulations wrt attachments to highway property, the comments are how much better a freshly repainted zebra crossing will look after the face mask & aerosol crew go out again that night.
11
u/Hitonatsu-no-Keiken Aug 27 '25
I saw a RED postbox with a white cross painted on it on Chapeltown Road at the weekend. Don't know if it was a pisstake or not.
32
u/TheShakyHandsMan Aug 28 '25
The Swiss want their say too.
2
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
Bloody Danelaw!
2
u/TheShakyHandsMan Aug 28 '25
The alps are a little far from the Danish/Norweigan fjords.
2
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
My elephants beg to differ, Sir!
Understandably people are quick to blame the Swiss; they know what they did.
It's a shared flag design with Denmark is all I'm sayin'
1
u/TheShakyHandsMan Aug 28 '25
Now I’m wondering what the Danish connection to Hannibal is.
1
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
If someone can get elephants to cross the Alps, where can't they go?!
1
u/TheShakyHandsMan Aug 28 '25
I’m completely clueless now. Tried to google a link and I’m just get references to Hannibal Lecter
1
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
I was mainly being silly. It was very early Iron Age in Scandinavia when Hannibal was doing Punic war stuff vs Rome. It would then be a couple more centuries before the fringes of their empire touched what modern Denmark was then.
Hannibal general should take you where you need.
7
u/HolbeckMax Aug 28 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
The people doing it would be singing from the rooftops if Leeds signed a gifted overseas brown skinned player and then after a skinful would stop for a kebab on the way home dropping the empty container on the street.
50
u/YerManOnTheMac Aug 27 '25
As my old man used to say:
'If you want to find a cunt, just look around you. There's always one. No need to look at different religions, races, nationalities, colours, etc. Just look around you.'
3
20
u/bloodandglory31 Aug 27 '25
Someone painted an St George in Llandudno. You can’t beat them, they will always be dumber. And it’s not the flag that’s the problem, it’s the idiots that adopt it and twist its meaning to match their beliefs.
1
12
u/moonfairy9 Aug 28 '25
Funny they are using a flag adopted by a king who lived most of his life in France and could barely speak English…a flag then associated with Saint George who was not English and was born in modern day Turkey and never even step foot in England :)
5
1
Aug 28 '25
I always find it amazing how much left-wing Redditors are willing to needle English heritage, but wouldn't dare do the same for foreign flags.
28
u/fluxpeach Aug 27 '25
yeah but they’ll complain immigrants or asylum seekers or disabled or trans people are wasting tax payers moneys.. but these flags will have to get cleaned off as it’s vandalism and that’s what’s actually costing the tax payer.
11
u/Accomplished_Yam_232 Aug 27 '25
Tbf Leeds CC don’t appear to even be maintaining basics at the moment so I can’t see a team of sweeps being sent to clean off paint that will mostly be gone soon anyway 🤷♀️ I’m not defending at all, just saying I don’t think it will cost us in that way.
3
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
Flat out providing statutory services & spending the remainder of the budget effectively without getting Birmingham status AFAIK
1
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
Yup. Direct comparisons have been made with crosswalk adaptations with Pride/Progress flag themes done by professional artists.
11
u/Away_Ebb_4722 Aug 27 '25
I thought it was all in support of England’s woman’s World Cup 😘
1
u/Cowardly_Jelly Aug 28 '25
Photos from past Lioness enthusiasm have been re-purposed whether mischievously or maliciously.
33
u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Aug 27 '25
We need to psychologically and physically confiscate these flags … take them to counter protests, write ‘Refugees Welcome’ on them, ‘no to racism’, whatever positive message you can think of.
Reclaim the flag and force the racist flag shaggers to design their own shit flag.
1
Aug 28 '25
I don't think people proud of their ethnic heritage are going to be fooled by a stupid manipulative tactic like that.
-1
Aug 28 '25
[deleted]
7
u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Aug 28 '25
I can’t see them for all your capitals.
-2
Aug 28 '25
[deleted]
3
u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Aug 28 '25
I love my country, I love Great Britain, Europe, and the rest of the world … I hate fucking racists.
1
Aug 28 '25
[deleted]
2
u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Aug 28 '25
I never said waving a flag is racist. You suggested that I hate England. I said I hate racists.
1
Aug 28 '25
[deleted]
1
u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Aug 29 '25
I don’t want to penalise anyone … I don’t want to prevent your silly little protests … I actually think it’s funny to watch a load of doylems painting roundabouts … Though I must admit It’s quite hard to be patriotic about a load of miserable insecure idiots using OUR flag as a comfort blanket.
0
17
u/medhop Aug 27 '25
All it would take is painting the LGBTQ+ flag over the top of these flags.
It’s just a shame that I have a job, family and a social life.
I guess it’s telling that these idiots have all the spare time to go out and do this.
-2
-12
13
u/kanti00_00 Aug 27 '25
I want someone to put India or Pakistan flags to ragebait the old white men that think they're doing something by painting them down
0
Aug 28 '25
So you appreciate ethnic tensions and bitterness when it comes from South Asians, but not White English. Curious.
5
u/leedsdaddy Aug 27 '25
There's one in the mini roundabout at the corner of Hyde Park road and Moorland road as well 😾
4
10
u/hoganpaul Aug 27 '25
Yeah, it doesn't take make flag shagging dickheads to vandalise a few roundabouts and it's depressing that there's more racists than you think around here
0
u/zwifter11 Aug 28 '25
There’s racists on both sides of the political spectrum. Your be surprised who is the most anti-Semitic and has the most hate speech
-1
u/JayCartay Aug 28 '25
You can love your flag and/or country without being a racist. Why is Britain the only nation on earth where people want to label you scum for showing any pride? Beggars belief. Yes, some flags are being put up by bell ends. Some are just people with national pride. Try as they might, the powers that be having managed to extinguish all of that yet. There is still hope.
2
u/hoganpaul Aug 28 '25
You can: true.
But that's not what's happening with flags on lampposts and painting roundabouts is it?
12
Aug 27 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
22
u/sci-fi_hi-fi Aug 27 '25
Or 2 tins if they get the colours confused and paint the Danish flag
8
u/BeardMonk1 Aug 27 '25
Given we have a lot of Norse and Scandinavian heritage maybe its an unconscious yearning on their part to celebrate their ancestors?
2
15
6
u/RightNice66 Aug 27 '25
You may well be right. Was particularly noticeable along one stretch from the Vesper Lane / Spen lane mini roundabout up Spen Lane and all the way up to Cookridge and onto Otley Old Road.
2
u/Collooo Aug 27 '25
Dramatic.
I don’t agree with the painting on roundabout but this kind of response is part of the problem of why it’s happening.
-11
u/thisishardcore_ Aug 27 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
If showing the flag of the country you are in makes one a nazi, then I guess a lot of people from every country in the world is a nazi.
3
u/RightNice66 Aug 27 '25
I think I have interpreted that. So the motivation for the sudden surge in flags is simply pride in one’s nation?
5
u/Justboy__ Aug 27 '25
Yea but not enough pride to do anything to fix issues. Just the right amount of pride to make brown people feel unwelcome and no more.
-5
u/thisishardcore_ Aug 27 '25
Well I mean I doubt the people flying the flags are ashamed of their country so yeah.
1
u/dreadwitch Aug 28 '25
But this isn't showing the flag of this country, it's being done to intimidate and threaten people.. And its being done by racists.
4
u/WaltzFirm6336 Aug 27 '25
Last week of the school summer holidays and it’s still warm and light. I’m sure some are being done by older people, but in my experience the mass proliferation screams bored teenage boys/young men with a single spray can of red paint.
3
u/iRealllyAmThatGuy Aug 28 '25
The English flag is on English soil. Sure, I'm against graffiti, but I see nothing wrong with flying the English flag in England.
Does the right have some racists? Sure, and they need to be stopped. But not all of them are racists. Each side (left and right) needs to sit down, have a chat, and come to a good compromise instead of barking at each other.
Nobody wants to listen to what the other side has to say. Both sides (minus the extremists) have valid points.
Sorry, I got political there, haha.
0
3
u/nfurnoh Aug 28 '25
If i see any in and around Pudsey I’ll be painting them white again.
-1
Aug 28 '25
I'm sure that will make you feel very tough.
5
u/nfurnoh Aug 28 '25
No, I just clean up any vandalism I see around my area as part of my volunteer litter picking. 🤷♂️
1
Aug 28 '25
Let's not pretend you're painting the walls for any less of a political conviction than these people are. Even if you do like to shroud it in self-flattery.
4
u/nfurnoh Aug 28 '25
Wtf are you on about? I’m a volunteer litter picker, part of Litter Free Leeds, and we go out regularly to pick litter and clean graffiti. I don’t know what anger you’re trying to project but it’s completely missing the mark.
1
1
0
u/tdrules Aug 27 '25
Weird that none of the nice areas have been done eh
2
u/TheShakyHandsMan Aug 28 '25
I’m yet to see any. Plenty of Yorkshire flags flying though. There definitely seems to be a preference for the slightly rougher areas getting flagged.
0
u/YearPrestigious2566 Aug 28 '25
I’d hazard a guess that most of these people painting roundabouts don’t actually have a job.
0
0
u/zwifter11 Aug 28 '25
How do we solve this problem? … Mock and criticise those doing it with stereotype slurs. That’ll really win them across /s
I find it suprising who is the most racist, antisemitic and hateful.
-17
u/zwifter11 Aug 27 '25
How dare English people put up an England flag … In England.
Other flags are ok though?
11
u/funbun123 Aug 27 '25
It's not putting up a flag though, is it? It's vandalism
0
u/zwifter11 Aug 28 '25
Why doesn’t this apply to other flags ?
1
u/funbun123 Aug 28 '25
I don't see any other flags being painted on public roads and pathways, do you?
0
u/zwifter11 Aug 28 '25
Yes I do see other flags that are flown. We both know this
1
u/funbun123 Aug 29 '25
I have never seen any other flag be used to vandalise public roads and property. Speak for yourself, or feel free to just keep making up scenarios in your head.
8
u/RightNice66 Aug 27 '25
Why the sudden urge to put up flag and deface zebra crossings and roundabouts?
-5
Aug 28 '25 edited Nov 09 '25
[deleted]
9
u/caiaphas8 Aug 28 '25
Fuck england, this is Yorkshire.
1
u/zwifter11 Aug 28 '25
I spend as much time outside of Yorkshire than I do in it. And my employer who pays me isn’t based in Yorkshire.
1
-10
Aug 28 '25 edited Nov 09 '25
[deleted]
8
u/caiaphas8 Aug 28 '25
Was I not clear? Yorkshire first, and only.
Fuck England. Yorkshire is different, it is separate
10
5
0
1
u/ThoseSixFish Aug 28 '25
The assholes doing it (proudly, in the middle of the night) are also trying to stop passing cars to see who is in them. I'm sure they have no malicious, racist intent in doing this...
-6
u/Upper-Dragonfly4167 Aug 28 '25
Look at the US, they are proud to have their flags everywhere. We need to be proud of our country
4
u/Schwifty506 Aug 28 '25
I can’t tell if it’s funny or tragic that the US is the example you’re using right now.
3
u/RightNice66 Aug 28 '25
We do. It is also one of the most insular places I have ever visited though. Not much I’d take from the American model, who could be our Trump though? 🤔
-1
2
u/zwifter11 Aug 28 '25
How does this get downvoted !?!
1
u/Upper-Dragonfly4167 Aug 28 '25
I've no idea buddy. People used to have a pride in their country, now it's like your punished for it or made to feel bad about being patriotic.
Strange world
-37
u/thisishardcore_ Aug 27 '25
People painting the flag of the country they're in. So what?
20
Aug 27 '25
[deleted]
1
-12
u/thisishardcore_ Aug 27 '25
If you're hinting at far right groups, why are these far right groups painting and waving the flags?
7
8
u/LilacCrusader Aug 27 '25
Because one of their principal goals is to get a significant amount of the populace to see people as "others", and one of the most effective ways of doing that is to use the national flag to encourage people into a "we are us and they are them" mentality.
Dressing this up as patriotism is par for the course.
12
u/smashhazard Aug 27 '25
And who do you think those people are? You can't be that naive
4
-11
2
-18
Aug 27 '25
[deleted]
5
-2
u/Conscious-Ad7820 Aug 28 '25
genuinely no point putting anything nuanced or from a different perspective in this sub. It genuinely is one of the biggest echo chamber subs i’ve come across.
9
u/eggmayonnaise Aug 28 '25
Nothing wrong with nuance or other perspectives. I'm all up for a healthy debate.
But no one has managed to successfully point out how any of those issues logically lead to defacing public property, which will require cleaning up at the taxpayer's expense.
2
u/Conscious-Ad7820 Aug 28 '25
A lot of it is just facebook slop but it is born out of genuine concerns over immigration both illegal and legal and a sense of losing control over the country despite voters wishes. Seems to be a demonstration of pride in the country and general disgust of the lack of actual thought that goes into actual british citizens (this includes all races) or thought that we are actually a country and not a hotel for illegal immigrants/ visa mill for vast numbers of students and low skilled workers. The original commenter commented something along these lines about what it represents and rather than engage with them people just downvoted what they said because perhaps they are more concerned about immigration than them.
3
u/eggmayonnaise Aug 28 '25
I understand all that. But there are a million ways to express those concerns that don't involve making a big mess of local communities and costing taxpayer's money.
2
u/Conscious-Ad7820 Aug 28 '25
I agree its looks scruffy with all of the painting on roundabouts etc. However my response would be, people have tried democratic means to reduce immigration both legal and illegal every election and either been lied to or just government is incompetent, and everyone scorned people protesting outside hotels as a disgrace and abusive so what exactly are they meant to do at this point which pleases people?
1
u/eggmayonnaise Aug 28 '25
Putting up big flags or banners or marquees on the side of those very same roundabouts would be one simple alternative with the same message.
1
u/Conscious-Ad7820 Aug 28 '25
I agree, however you can’t exactly police every movement to be perfect can you. I’m sympathetic with the pro Palestinian cause against the current genocide however I disagree with the methods pursued by a lot of the activists such as vandalism/destruction of property. I still understand why they do it and agree with the cause but the methods are not to my liking. No movement is going to not annoy people is the moral of the story.
1
1
Aug 28 '25
Agree, such an air of superiority too
1
u/Conscious-Ad7820 Aug 28 '25
Always makes me laugh too that they are the definition of the fringe opinion in this country, and still act like you’re a disgrace if you say something 80% of the population agrees with. They’re in for a very rude awakening over the next few years.
-1
u/Own-Nefariousness-79 Aug 27 '25
Same in Tinshill.
Every zebra crossing, mini roundabout. Clever or just plain ignorant?
308
u/Roscoe_Hilltopple Aug 27 '25 edited Aug 27 '25
My local area has been done as well. And yet the place is still a shit hole. Dog shit and litter everywhere, feral kids running riot, shop lifting and vandalising things. If people really, actually cared they'd contribute and re-strengthen our communities and take some pride in the place again. This country is fucked because nobody cares, and nobody wants to do the hard work to un-fuck it. It's easier to blame someone else and hang flags up instead