Overview
- On Sunday Thames Valley Police charged Ryan Bridge with 14 offences linked to incidents in Oxfordshire between 31 January and 31 March 2026.
- The charges include seven counts of using threatening words or behaviour, three counts of threatening or abusive behaviour intended to cause fear of violence, two counts of racially aggravated harassment, one count of racially aggravated fear of violence, and one count of common assault.
- Police reviewed witness statements and footage before submitting a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which led to the formal charges.
- Oxfordshire County Council won a High Court injunction in July that bars unidentified supporters and named individuals from attaching flags to highway structures and obstructing removal teams, and Birmingham has sought similar court orders.
- The campaign says the flags are patriotic but residents and councils say the activity has caused intimidation, safety risks for road users and removal crews, and recent political backing from Reform UK has amplified the dispute and its public profile.