The founder of the Raise the Colours group, which made headlines for putting up St George’s and Union flags on lampposts, has been charged with more than a dozen offences.
Ryan Bridge, 45, of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, is facing 14 charges for a range of counts, including threatening and abusive behaviour, racially aggravated offences and assault.
Bridge founded Raise the Colours, who were largely responsible for the flags that were put up on lampposts across much of the Midlands and south of England last summer.
Thames Valley Police said on Sunday that Bridge had been charged with:
- Seven counts of using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress
- Three counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of, or provoke, unlawful violence
- Two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress
- One count of racially aggravated fear of violence
The offences were from a two month period between 31 January and 31 March 2026 in Oxfordshire earlier this year.
Bridge is due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 3 November.
Before Thames Valley Police confirmed Bridge had been charged, he attended Reform’s party conference on Saturday, where Nigel Farage told him Reform would look to offer him legal support.
Farage praised Bridge’s flag campaign, saying it had “wake up vast parts of this country.”
Bridge told the Guardian he had been invited to the conference by Reform.