Last night at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms, pro-Brexit campaigners were left furious after remain campaigners waved EU flags during the finale of the festival.
For the fourth year in a row, the EU Flags Proms Team helped to hand out an estimated 50,000 EU flags to the audience. Additionally, dozens of audience members were seen wearing blue EU-themed berets.
We have hundreds of EU bEUrets to give out to promenaders at the Royal Albert hall for last night at the proms, and… https://t.co/PQFGlM7Zzk— EU Flags Team (@EU Flags Team) 1568415937
Kate Hobbs, one of the organisers, said that she hopes the flags serve as a “timely reminder” that music is a “universal language which unites people“.
Naturally, leave voters took to Twitter to rage about the flags. “European flags at The Proms, are you serious, shameful at this politically heated time. Speechless,” said one. Another tweeted, “The Remoaners have hijacked a British institution with all the EU flags at The Last Night Of The Proms”.
So many EU flags at last night of the proms. All the same size, obviously handed out, disgraceful. Sir Henry Wood turning in his grave!— John Longworth (@John Longworth) 1568493968
The move was divisive, with many other Twitter users praising the flags as unifying and joyful. “It is possible to be patriotic and internationalist at the same time,” said one.
The EU flag wasn’t the only non-Union Jack waved last night. American mezzo-soprano and proud bisexual Jamie Barton waved a rainbow flag and showed off the inside of her gown, which had the same colours as the bisexual flag. Barton said that for her, she felt it was, “important for me to stand up proudly as a bisexual woman”.
Last night of the Proms. Rule Britannia gets played. EU flags waved with pride right across the floor of the Royal… https://t.co/gcy0DhsKmh— James Melville (@James Melville) 1568500860