Group of Men Putting up St George’s Flags Are ‘Attacked With Firebomb’

A man was left with a severe gash and blood streaming down his face after he claims he was attacked with ‘a glass bottle containing a lit rag’ just moments after putting up England flags in his home town.

Rival groups angrily clashed in front of migrant hotels yesterday as a wave of protests spread across Britain – with at least 30 demonstrations taking place.

A man, known as Louis, told police he was struck by the flaming object in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, as he and a group of others were hanging St George’s flags on lampposts and poles just after midnight on Saturday.

Footage from the incident posted on social media by StevenagePatriots shows the bottle ablaze on the ground and close to the rear tyres of a parked car.

The person taking the video can then be heard saying: ‘Putting flags up, got petrol bombed.’

Seconds later, the video shows ‘Louis’ looking shocked and standing with blood running down his face and hands as he awaited emergency services.

The man behind the camera says: ‘Just finished the night, three hours of flagging – and our boy has been petrol bombed.

‘A petrol bomb was thrown at the car, smashed straight onto his head.’

The voice off-camera can then be heard calling those responsible ‘absolute scumbags’ and ‘cowards’.

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The incident came amid a growing drive for the St George and Union flags to be displayed across England in the face of opposition from the authorities.

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Then workers for Tower Hamlets Council in east London were this week seen taking down St George flags put up by the burgeoning online movement known as ‘Operation Raise The Colours’.

Yet the authority had previously refused to take down unauthorised Palestinian flags ‘because we believe it could destabilise community cohesion’.

Town halls across the country have since condemned the painting of St George’s Crosses on mini-roundabouts while West Mercia Police said it was investigating incidents in Bromsgrove as suspected criminal damage.

Yesterday, rival groups angrily clashed in front of migrant hotels as a wave of protests spread across Britain.

At least 30 demonstrations took place, with police bracing themselves for more over the bank holiday.

Crowds gathered in front of hotels housing asylum seekers and in city centres such as Bristol, where police on horseback were sent in as clashes intensified, and Liverpool, where 11 arrests were made.

In many places, right-wing groups joined irate locals demanding the closure of hotels accommodating asylum seekers.

Meanwhile anti-racist organisations including Stand Up to Racism mobilised thousands of their own supporters to attend the same demonstrations.

In Liverpool, at least 800 protesters gathered outside St George’s Hall. On one side those from right-wing groups such as Ukip and Abolish the Asylum System faced hundreds from Stand Up to Racism.

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Hundreds of police officers struggled to keep both sides apart, often being attacked and spat at themselves. In Bristol, there were fistfights and assaults against officers by both left- and right-wing activists, and hundreds clashed in the city centre.

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Last night, police said they made three arrests in Horley. There were also protests in Perth, Scotland, and in the small town of Mold in North Wales.

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The Prime Minister’s spokesman insisted this week that Sir Keir was ‘absolutely’ supportive of people putting up English flags but other politicians have expressed concerns about the campaign, and anti-racist groups have claimed it is being driven by the far Right.

Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said people painting the red cross on roundabouts were ‘seeking confrontation’, while the Liberal Democrat leader of Dorset Council said some residents had been ‘intimidated’ by the flags.

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