Activist group founder charged with racially aggravated harassment and assault over flag installations
Quick Look
- Ryan Bridge, 45, founder of activist group Raise the Colours, has been charged with 14 offences including racially aggravated harassment, threatening behaviour and assault for placing Union Jack and St George's Cross flags on lampposts in Oxfordshire and other areas since last summer.
- He is due to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on 3 November.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Ryan Bridge, founder of activist group Raise the Colours, has been placing Union Jack and St George's Cross flags on lampposts in the Midlands and south of England since last summer. Oxfordshire County Council obtained a High Court injunction to stop such flag placements due to safety concerns, trespass and obstruction. Birmingham City Council has applied for a similar injunction.
The founder of an activist group which has been putting Union Jack and St George's Cross flags on lampposts has been charged with a string of offences including racially aggravated harassment, threatening behaviour and assault.
Ryan Bridge, 45, of Blackwell, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, has been erecting flags in the Midlands and the south of England since last summer as part of Raise the Colours.
Thames Valley Police said Bridge had been charged with 14 offences from a two-month period in Oxfordshire earlier this year.
He is due to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on 3 November.
The offences are:
In July, Oxfordshire County Council was granted a High Court injunction to stop people placing flags near highways because of safety concerns, trespass and obstruction.
Birmingham City Council has applied for a similar injunction which will be heard at the High Court on Tuesday.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Birmingham City Council's application for a High Court injunction to stop flag placements will be heard on Tuesday as stated
Very likely · Within days
Ryan Bridge will appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on 3 November to face the 14 charges
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific actions led to the charges of racially aggravated harassment and assault?
- Will Birmingham City Council's injunction application be granted?
- Are there plans for further legal action against other individuals involved in flag installations?
