[Yuki Maru Hoshi]

Originally Posted by BBXX

People hanging the Union Jack on a lamppost they don’t own or maintain being taken down is not banning flags though. People are free to fly them in on their own property.

Yes, generally speaking, it's against the law to deface private property that isn't our own, whatever it is defaced it with. Would be no different if it were custom signage. It wouldn't lead to penalties if it were undamaged property and were easily removed. That's fine. Still, that line should be carefully toed when it's involving public sentiments regarding the govt (that's more local policy than law). I don't see the issue if they removed all flags for a time while tensions were high, though. It's cheaper than having to board up a building. Something we're apt to do when certain groups are planned to protest (But if you have to remove your own national flag, that's pretty dismal)

The impression we're being given in the US was that the govt were increasingly leaning towards banning all displays of the flag in many settings to limit tensions, not just from lamp posts and that I would wholeheartedly disagree with for the obvious. The algorithms and basic internet searches are doing a horrific job of explaining exactly how and where played out which is why I check here, but for most Americans banning our national flag in any capacity (culturally) is literally unthinkable. So it's creating more interest in what is happening in the UK than is normal and not in a good way.