A council has suspended the elimination of saltire flags from lampposts after employees confronted threats and intimidation.
Aberdeenshire Council mentioned it had requested the help of Police Scotland earlier than the operation would resume.
Flags have been put up in cities and cities throughout Scotland after a social media marketing campaign by a bunch behind an anti-asylum seeker protest.
Falkirk Council additionally mentioned employees had been threatened. It mentioned the saltires had been put up with out permission and posed a security risk.
Aberdeenshire Council mentioned: “Abuse is being reported to Police Scotland. Elimination has been suspended for right this moment.
“The help of Police Scotland shall be requested to permit elimination to renew.”
Aberdeen Metropolis Council additionally confirmed that it was eradicating flags.
The saltire flags have been flying from lampposts over the previous few weeks [BBC]
Save Our Future and Our Youngsters Future – one of many Fb pages behind the flags marketing campaign – mentioned it was “disgusted” by the councils’ response.
It mentioned it had now began fundraising to purchase extra flags.
Police Scotland mentioned any choice to take away flags was a “matter for the native authority”.
Falkirk Council mentioned the flags had been eliminated for “security causes”.
A spokesperson added: “In some cases council staff suffered intimidating behaviour from folks which prevented them finishing this activity.
“That is unacceptable and the council will liaise with Police Scotland to take motion in opposition to these accountable.”
Aberdeenshire Council mentioned employees had been threatened whereas taking the flags down [BBC]
Aberdeenshire Council mentioned it had seen a pointy rise in flags being flown from streetlights and stories of flags being painted on roads.
“Sadly, we’ve got additionally seen an increase in our employees being threatened when taking them down,” they added.
“It’s totally unacceptable to threaten any of our employees finishing up their jobs, and we shall be asking police to become involved.”
They mentioned it was an offence to “cling something from road lights, or to break the highway in any method”.
“Any unauthorised installations shall be eliminated and handed in to the native police station the place the homeowners can gather them,” they mentioned.
Saltires have been showing throughout Scotland, together with on South Street in Peterhead [BBC]
In the meantime, in Glasgow movies on social media present folks climbing lampposts with a ladder to chop down flags within the Maryhill space.
A Fb group known as The Tartan Crew, which claims to be behind the flags in Maryhill mentioned: “Many many many extra flags shall be going up.
“It will be lined over the following couple of weeks. You will not be capable of go wherever with out seeing our stunning flag.”
Glasgow Metropolis Council urged folks to not connect flags to lampposts for “private and public security”.
A spokesperson mentioned: “This subject shall be managed appropriately throughout the scope of our out there sources.”
‘Individuals are fed up’
Pat Jamieson says folks have a proper to face up for their very own nation [BBC]
Pat Jamieson lives within the Tollcross space of Glasgow, the place flags have additionally been put up.
He mentioned folks had been fed up with their cash going to “in the direction of different issues as a substitute of our personal folks”.
He mentioned: “The folks in Scotland are displaying that they are fed up with all of the immigration coming into our nation.
“We really feel sorry for these folks, however why ought to we’ve got to pay for these folks with all the issues which might be occurring on the earth.”
How did this begin?
The unfold of saltire flags in Scotland comes after related scenes in England, the place union jacks and St George’s flags had been held on lampposts and painted on site visitors islands.
Teams on social media, such because the Midlands-based Weoley Warriors, have been encouraging folks to participate.
They describe themselves as a “group of proud English males with a standard purpose to indicate Birmingham and the remainder of the nation of how proud we’re of our historical past, freedoms and achievements”.
They’ve raised greater than £21,000 by a crowdfunding marketing campaign for “flags, poles and cable ties”.
In another areas, the elevating of flags seems to be spontaneous, coinciding with a extremely charged political time within the UK in terms of nationwide id and belonging.
There have been protests exterior some motels housing asylum seekers the place flags have featured closely among the many placards.
[BBC]