Flag row erupts in Liverpool as councillor followed
A local councillor in north Liverpool says he was followed and filmed in an “intimidating” way after confronting a group putting up England flags that carried what he described as racist and political messages.
Cllr Alan Gibbons, leader of the Your Party political group and representative of the Orrell Park ward, said he was out on a community litter pick on Saturday morning when residents alerted him that several men were putting up St George’s flags around the area, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“I was doing a litter pick when someone asked if I’d seen that Orrell Park had been covered in flags,” Gibbons told.
He said he caught up with the group near Walton Vale, where three men were seen using a ladder to attach flags to lamp posts.
“I approached the men and asked why they weren’t out litter-picking like us,” he said. “Doesn’t real patriotism start with looking after your community?”
According to Gibbons, some of the flags featured messages such as ‘Stop the Boats’ and another calling for the removal of Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson — despite the area being outside her constituency.
The councillor said that after challenging the group, he was followed by three men who filmed him on their phones, prompting him to contact the police.
Authorities have not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
Gibbons, who defeated Labour to win his seat as an independent in 2023, has been a vocal critic of hate speech and racism in local politics.
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