Man waves Nazi flag over bridge in Earley near Reading

At around 1 pm this afternoon Sunday, August 18 a motorist noticed the man as he was driving along the A329m towards Reading. While he was driving underneath the bridge on the motorway, the man appeared and took out a large red flag with a swastika on it. Man holding a Nazi flag was seen on Earley Station Bridge this afternoon.

Watch here: pic.twitter.com/o1s2XWp7Uo[1]

-- Olivia Endellion Mowl (@OliviaMowlE) August 18, 2024[2]

The man, described as white with a beard and wearing a blue hoodie, stood holding the flag whilst the driver looked up at him, horrified. The flag-flyer appeared to have travelled to the scene by push bike. The driver said: "I was completely shocked.

More hurt than anything. I live, work, and socialise in Woodley. "To know that there is this kind of movement lurking in the shadows is scary."

The police have been notified of the incident and this article will be updated once we have received a comment from them. If you have any information or saw anything, please email me at [email protected]. The UK is one of the last western countries where it is not illegal to display Nazi symbols.

Australia introduced a national ban on Nazi symbols, in an effort to crack down on far-right groups last year. Public displays of the swastika or SS symbols in Australia are punishable by up to a year in prison. The move came amid a resurgence in far-right activity.

In the UK, according to police it is not currently a criminal offence to sell or own Nazi memorabilia in the UK. However displaying such items - including flags - in a public place may break the law, depending on the context and the circumstances. Sunday's incident comes after weeks of national debate following the far-right riots in the wake of the death of three young girls in Stockport.

The driver wasn't the only person who spotted the man brandishing the flag earlier today. Residents took to social media to warn others about his presence. One person said: "(This is a) mockery and the ultimate disrespect to every name on every war memorial in the land, every man and woman who fought against the enemy who was waving that flag.

They'd be turning in their graves."

Another added: "I bet his family must be really proud, especially those that fought to stop the Naz*s.

What a piece of work."

References

1. ^ pic.twitter.com/o1s2XWp7Uo (t.co)
2. ^ August 18, 2024 (twitter.com)