A man in his 30s was hospitalised with a broken leg after being run over by a van in a hit and run incident on Mayfield Road, Stirchley, Birmingham. The incident occurred late on Thursday night amid rising tensions over the removal of unauthorised Union Jack and St George’s flags put up by the group ‘Raise the Colours’.
West Midlands Police are currently investigating the incident and reviewing CCTV and social media footage to identify the driver responsible for the hit and run.
Locals had begun taking down flags attached to lampposts without permission, which led to clashes just hours before the United Kingdom march in London. Witnesses reported that the van which fled the scene displayed the ‘Raise the Colours’ logo, linking the nationalist group to the incident.
The man sustained a broken shin bone and underwent surgery to insert a screw. He remains in hospital for recovery following the serious injury.
This incident is the latest in a series of escalating tensions surrounding the flags, which have provoked accusations of harassment and intimidation within the local community.
The local group Stirchley is For Everyone condemned the attack as a dangerous escalation following months of nationalist harassment. Birmingham MP Al Carns also denounced the violence, stating that the Union Jack should unite, not divide, and highlighted the numerous complaints about the flag-erecting group.
Birmingham City Council reiterated that unauthorised flag attachments pose public safety risks and are regularly removed. The council referenced a fatal accident last year involving a man who fell from a ladder while trying to hang a Union Jack, urging that such tasks be left to professionals.
Originally published by UKNIP.
