Palestinian flags outside polling stations taken down
Palestinian flags outside polling stations are being taken down amid concerns of voter intimidation.
Several councils in east London have been contacted about the flags, which residents saw on lampposts as they went to cast their votes.
Tower Hamlets, Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham councils said they were aware of reports about Palestinian flags flying close to polling stations and were deploying officials to remove them. Residents have complained of possible voter “interference” and “intimidation” because the flags.
Across east London and the surrounding areas, Labour candidates seeking re-election are being challenged by independents running on pro-Gaza tickets.
In Bethnal Green and Stepney, Sham Uddin, an independent candidate, has used his platform to criticise Rushanara Ali, the Labour candidate after she did not back a Gaza ceasefire vote in parliament. He uses the Palestinian flag on his campaign literature and lists a “ceasefire in Palestine” as his top agenda item.
In Ilford North, Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, is being challenged by Leanne Mohamad who believes voters feel “betrayed” by Labour over its stance on Gaza.
In one post on Twitter, Chris Rose posted a photograph of flags flying on lampposts, writing: “Palestine flags outside a polling station in Ilford. This shouldn’t be allowed on polling day since it’s a form of intimidation. This isn’t Gaza and people should go to the polling stations with British issues in mind.”
In another post, a resident urged Barking and Dagenham council to take down Palestinian flags “immediately” after seeing them near a polling station. “I’ve never seen a flag there before,” he said. “It’s obviously meant to interfere with people’s voting intentions.”
According to the Electoral Commission, there should not be any “campaign posters, banners or other advertising literature” in polling stations, on polling station buildings or on the land, such as a car park, of a polling station.
However, the election watchdog said that flags were not considered campaign material, meaning this was not a matter for electoral law.
“If someone has concerns about possible intimidation, they should contact the police,” said a commission spokesman. “The commission does not have a role in investigating potential criminal offences, such as those relating to intimidation.”
A Tower Hamlets council spokesman said: “We’re aware of reports of flags flying near polling stations. Some of these have already been removed and we continue to remove flags flying without permission from council-owned infrastructure as quickly as we possibly can.”
A Barking and Dagenham council spokesman said: “We have been made aware of flags being flown from council infrastructure and officers from the council are on site taking down any flags flying without council permission.”
Redbridge council has been contacted for comment.
Tower Hamlets and Redbridge have been embroiled in previous controversies over Palestinian flags. Earlier this year, the mayor of Tower Hamlets bowed to pressure and ordered the removal of Palestinian flags from council buildings and lampposts.
Lutfur Rahman insisted the flags were “symbols of solidarity and sympathy” for Palestinians in Gaza, but said the east London borough was taking them down after being advised to do so.
The council’s about-turn came after it was warned that the flags were intimidating Jewish residents and that the council was committing a criminal offence by not taking them down.
Redbridge council has also been accused of “multiple criminal offences” over its failure to remove Palestine flags, including breaches of the Highways Act and the Town and Country Planning Act.
