Flag Burning Starting To Flag

Nine people have been arrested after flags were burned during a far-right demonstration in Newcastle. It's a tricky debate, isn't it; should burning a flag be illegal. I grew up in a smokeless zone, so I'm used to it being prohibited. And remember, if you aren't going to burn a pile of flags, make sure there aren't any hedgehogs under it. Be a far right violent protester, but don't be a dick about it.

It's such an odd symbolic protest, burning a flag. It doesn't really cause your target much of an inconvenience, because it wasn't never their flag, was it. It was a flag that you bought and you burned it. It's costing money. At least if you play Quake III Arena and capture a flag you take it from them. This is like buying a copy of the red team's flag and capturing that.

About 100 people took part in the protest by National Action on the city's Quayside, Northumbria Police said. Or course any heat from the burning flag meant that they were right to not wear a coat out in the chilling weather.

I guess there are some situations in which burning a flag could be a serious offence. Like if that flag was wrapped around someone. But if we let ourselves be offended by symbolic actions we're winding ourselves up. Like in Men In Black when the bad guy gets upset when people stand on cockroaches. At least he was related to cockroaches. People aren't related to flags. Unless they're really thin in the body with a wavy head. No wonder Russell Brand is such an activist these days.

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