The #RaiseTheFlag campaign has reignited a debate that is as old as nationalism itself. On one side, supporters see the flag as a symbol of pride, unity, and belonging. On the other, critics feel it sends a message of exclusion and intimidation.

At first glance, it looks like a harmless campaign. But the reality is more complicated. Symbols like flags are never neutral. They carry histories, emotions, and political weight. And when they’re amplified in the current climate, they can do as much to divide as they can to unite.

The Case For: Pride and Belonging

For many, the flag represents:

National identity: A shared banner that reminds people of their heritage and culture.
Pride: Especially in times of global uncertainty, raising a flag feels like taking back control and celebrating who “we” are.
Unity: It’s seen as a gesture of togetherness, cutting across politics, class, and background — a common symbol everyone can rally behind.

To supporters, opposition often feels like an attack on patriotism itself. Why shouldn’t people be proud of their country?

The Case Against: Exclusion and Intimidation

For many other groups, the experience is very different.

A flag for “us,” not “all”: What feels like pride for some can feel like a declaration of ownership for others. The question becomes: who is included in “us”?
Intimidation: In communities where racism is already a lived reality, the flag can be read as a symbol of who belongs and who doesn’t. Raised in the wrong context, it feels less like celebration and more like a warning.
Historical baggage: Flags have often been linked with nationalist movements that pushed exclusionary agendas. For those on the margins, the campaign can trigger memories of hostility rather than unity.

The gap in interpretation is stark. What feels empowering to one group can feel threatening to another.

Race, Immigration, and the Divide

The racial undertones of #RaiseTheFlag are hard to ignore. Immigration debates already dominate public discourse, and symbols like flags often become proxies for those conversations.

Supporters may not see the campaign as about race at all. For them, it’s about identity, heritage, and national pride.

Critics, however, hear echoes of “us vs. them”, a narrative where immigrants and non-white communities are subtly marked as outsiders.

This is where misinformation plays its part. Half-truths and sensationalised claims spread quickly, each retelling and twisting the meaning further. Add in social media, with algorithm-driven feeds that amplify outrage, and suddenly a flag becomes more than a flag. It becomes a cultural battlefield.

Divide and Conquer!

History shows us how often elites have used identity to divide populations.

Colonial rulers pitted ethnic and religious groups against each other to weaken resistance.
Politicians in the 20th century leaned on nationalist symbols to distract citizens from economic or social unrest.
Today, the same tactic is visible. Instead of addressing inequality, stagnant wages, or corruption, leaders amplify identity debates, race, immigration, culture, to keep society looking inward and sideways, not upward.

#RaiseTheFlag may feel like a grassroots cultural moment, but it slots neatly into this pattern of distraction.

The Bigger Picture

The flag itself isn’t the real issue. The deeper question is why this symbol is being elevated right now.

We are living through a time of economic instability, political distrust, and global tension. In moments like this, powerful institutions have every reason to redirect public attention toward cultural flashpoints. The result? The majority ends up debating pride versus intimidation, while the structures causing hardship remain unchallenged.

Final Thought

For some, #RaiseTheFlag is an uplifting act of unity. For others, it’s a symbol that fuels exclusion and intimidation. Both feelings are real and both are shaped by race, history, and lived experience.

But whichever side you fall on, it’s worth remembering that these debates rarely happen in a vacuum. Symbols are powerful precisely because they stir emotion. And when society is pulled into battles over identity, it’s often the people at the very top who benefit most.

Pride for some, fear for others and a distraction for us all.

Raising the Flag: Pride, Fear, and the Politics of Division