Activists from the Welsh independence group Mudiad Eryr Wen (MEW), meaning 'White Eagle Movement', have torn down Union Jack and St George's Cross flags from lampposts near Wrexham's Cae Ras stadium, home to Wrexham AFC. The group posted a video online showing a member removing what appears to be an England flag while an accomplice steadies a ladder.
Group Claims Flags Have 'Nothing to Do with Wales'
MEW describes itself as a grassroots youth movement campaigning for an independent Wales. In a statement to the Daily Post, the group said its activists removed flags raised along Mold Road last weekend, arguing that the Union Jack, St George's Cross, and Ulster loyalist flags have 'absolutely nothing to do with Wales'. The group called the flags an 'absolute embarrassment and a stain on the town', especially given their proximity to Cae Ras, which Welsh nationalists celebrate as the sporting heart of north Wales and the oldest international football stadium still in use.
Locals 'Infuriated' by Flags
MEW claimed that 'infuriated' locals had called for the flags to be removed. The group stated: 'Union Jacks have never been tolerated in the stands at Wrecsam, which speaks volumes about the sort of people putting them up.' It also referenced a previous action last year when members tore down English and British flags from over the A483 near Rhiwabon, vowing to do so again if necessary.
Context of Operation Raise the Colours
The flag removals are linked to Operation Raise the Colours, a nationwide campaign that saw St George's Cross and Union flags attached to lampposts across the UK by members of the public. Critics argue the campaign is racist and divisive, while supporters defend it as patriotic. Councils in England, including Blackpool, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire, have already removed flags attached to public infrastructure without permission.
