Been away for a while so sorry if this has been mentioned

apparently the somali community requested that safeway on
ecclesall rd take their flags down which i believe they have done

does anyone know if this is true?

If this is true, I for one would like to know on what grounds the request for their removal was made...

Two different countries, I know, but it's odd that the yanks are debating just what one can and can't do to the stars & stripes before it becomes a hanging offence...and yet a UK company meekly removes a symbol of our nation at the first hint of a gripe!

What do others have to say on this one?

Depends if its true or a rumour. Rumours are easily spread aren't they?
If true, they should have been told, "sod off"
The Sheffielsd Star should ask their manager.
I've another question for Safeway. About 6months ago Iwas shopping in there and noticed that Halal lamb mince was considerably cheaper than the "ordinary" How's that?

Looks like you could get a whole series of the X-Files out of the strange goings on at Safeway...

I find it absolutely outrageous that even in our own country we can’t fly our own flags. What the hell is the world coming too when people who aren’t even British nationality have duristiction over those who are.

Originally posted by J-Blaze
I find it absolutely outrageous that even in our own country we can’t fly our own flags. What the hell is the world coming too when people who aren’t even British nationality have duristiction over those who are.

I'd regard my self as a bit of a leftie...but even I think that we roll over and play dead a little too quickly in this country when it comes to the symbols of our national identity.

Boozed up football thugs rampaging on the contient are one thing, but flying a flag?

Surely no one can take offence at that?

flag stories are such an easy way to wind people up. People get apoplexy from a rumour; "I heard that we have to take our flags down..."

and it gets the same predictable vehement responses:

"It's a bloddy disgrace political correctness gone mad.."

And anyway, did Safeway have flags up in the first place?

people, be a bit more critical when you hear things like this before you jump to conclusions. Sounds to me like the sort of rubbish that the BNP would spout that leads to vaguely and subtly racist accusations.

Here, here flying fish - thought it was only me that had been driven mad because of my political correctness.
Even if the rumours are true:
Safeway have the commercial right to ignore or listen to whatever sections of the community they want and respond in terms of pricing, presentation in order to maximise profits. I hardly think it is a blow for freedom of speech or jingoistic nationalism...
Nothing like a bit of controversy for your virgin post!

If it IS true then it's outrageous and ill thought out. But what reason would any nationality give to have flags took down? Besides which the store is bedecked with Euro2004 offers and every aisle has a product with the English flag blazed all over it.
I'd have bought the cheaper Halal lamb anyway?? its only killed differently isn't it?

This is just a rumour isn't it?

A seaqcrh on the sheffieldtoday site and on google reveals nothing at all. Rumours like this only come from **** stirrers, and repeating it withut thinking about it makes things worse.

Like people who get hoaxes in their email inbox and click forward to their entire address book when thinking about it for two seconds will show what a load of rubbish they are.

BLOODY HELL, i ask one simple question because i have been away a few week and im branded a **** stirrer and a member of the BNP, "Welcome Home, Welcome........

I said people who start these kind of rumours are **** stirrers. And it is the sort of thing that organisations like the BNP get up to.If you go back and read again you will see that I accused you of neither starting it, or being in the BNP.


On the other hand I do think a bit of critical thinking normally exposes this sort of stuff for the rubbish it is and I'll stand by that.
People can and do latch onto this sort of thing and use it as an excuse for all sorts of behaviour.

As intelligent people I think we have a responsibility to be cynical until the veracity of it can be confirmed.

It's not true at all!

It's all a mock up by someone to cause abit of racial tension.

By the way, is Safeway the only supermarket that does Halal products?

i don't know about supermarkets, but spar on abbeydale road sells halal food

Safeway is an american company.
Safeway also sells Kosher food.
I have phoned Safeway and they know nothing about this. They have given me their press office number which I will phone tomorrow if i can be bothered.
As an irish republican I have always seen the flag as a symbol of repression, but hey thats my point of view.
I am sick of these types of stories. Most of them when scrutinised are false but people will still think they are true.

Originally posted by carcrash
Safeway is an american company.


Who are no longer an american company, They are now owned by W.c. Morrison PLC. (Morrisons)

I thought Morrisons only brought the stores.

No, they bought Safeway UK.

Safeway US is a totally different company anyway, rather like McDonalds

Well yet again another anti-patriot story bites the dust.

When will people stop believeing this cobblers?

I've yet to come across a real life true story like this.

Lord only knows how you lot will react in April 2005 when both the Union Jack and the St George's flag are banned and we are made to fly the EU flag instead.

The present flags will just be symbols from the past in which we seem to love living.

If they don't like our flag why do they live in our country?

Hehe, come on sid - get up to date man ;) It's not true! Check the rest of the thread. :thumbsup:

why shouldnt we fly our countrys flag in our country. Different when the packistani cricket team are in england and there wearing there crickit shirts

Originally posted by christhebest
why shouldnt we fly our countrys flag in our country. Different when the packistani cricket team are in england and there wearing there crickit shirts

Hook, line and sinker.:loopy:

'Speaking of Which' is updated every Thursday
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Nice one Sam, the best yet mate keep it up. Velly crever.

Originally posted by Ned Ludd
About 6months ago Iwas shopping in there and noticed that Halal lamb mince was considerably cheaper than the "ordinary" How's that?
If that's true (which I suspect it probably isn't), why not just buy Halal mince? I would imagine it tastes the same and all in all it's probably better for you.

The Oldham riots started as a result of the St Georges cross being flown in the town centre - on St Georges day. The Asian community demanded it be taken down on the grounds of racism.
It was downhill from there.

Originally posted by Rossmeister
The Oldham riots started as a result of the St Georges cross being flown in the town centre - on St Georges day. The Asian community demanded it be taken down on the grounds of racism.
It was downhill from there.

This is exactly the same sort of story that, if scrutinised doesn't hold up and is surely only perpetuated to stir up tensions?

Manchester Crown Court on dishing out convictions after those riots lay the responsbility on the BNP for instigating the violence, causing damage to property and assaulting an elderly asian woman, all in the Glodwick part of the city. If there was anything about St George's flag in the city centre it was probably being waved by the large number of BNP activists who had been congregating for the previous five weeks.

Saying "The asian community" demanded they take it down and then the riots started is a gross generalisation and incredibly simplistic.

Frankly every time one of these story's come along they serve one purpose; it gives people a chance to moan about "bloody foreigners coming over here" and I have yet to see one that is true.

Turns out the staff were asked not to wear England shirts but stick to their uniforms plus a notice went round saying that some of the flags were concealing customer information notices. Seems the local supervisor over-reacted and told staff to remove all flags.

Does anyone actually get offended by seeing another nation's flag being flown in this country??? I certainly don't and wouldn't dream of asking someone to remove their flag.

Originally posted by christhebest
why shouldnt we fly our countrys flag in our country. Different when the packistani cricket team are in england and there wearing there crickit shirts

I think you'll find the original post said SOMALI - S O M A L I thats NOT Pakistani.
Pakistan begins with the letter P, Somali begins with the letter S.

Thank you.:D

tut tut,shameful...............Is this store part of Morrisons or is it under Waitrose control yet?

Nowt down for it---get them flags back up!!

Flags being taken down?. People believe it and get angry about it because it's exactly the kind of thing that you'd expect in this country. We're all used to hearing about the petty actions of bureaucrats (banana's not straight enough etc etc) and thankfully we're sick of it.

Gotta be carefull about jumping to paranoid conclusions though. There are no commies hiding under the bed and Mr Kahn from number 32 might not be a terrorist. :)

That being said, if you're not going to support the team get out of the frickin stadium!.

Originally posted by JimmyNailgun
Flags being taken down?. People believe it and get angry about it because it's exactly the kind of thing that you'd expect in this country. We're all used to hearing about the petty actions of bureaucrats (banana's not straight enough etc etc) and thankfully we're sick of it.

That's the whole point of previous posts, these are all urban myths, including the straight bananas one. You're right that people expect these stories to be true but that's what comes of reading The Sun.

Truth about straight bananas (http://www.cec.org.uk/press/myths/myth05.htm)

Originally posted by max
That's the whole point of previous posts, these are all urban myths, including the straight bananas one. You're right that people expect these stories to be true but that's what comes of reading The Sun.

Truth about straight bananas (http://www.cec.org.uk/press/myths/myth05.htm)


Thank God, a fellow voice of reason in Max here.

You do have to be rather gullible to believe this one. Do people really think that gangs of marauding Somalis (of all people) are going around demending that people remove their flags. They'll certainly have their work cut out...

This thread saddens me. Is there a lack of cognitive ability on this forum or what?

Every since I've been coming on this forum there have been numerous 'true' stories about how flying St Georges flags in public is against the law, how car drivers have been told by the police to remove them etc.

When Euro2004 started I thought, good, this will shut the numpties up as there were St Georges flags everywhere. But yet the intelligence-challenged amongst you still contunue to post these messages and worse still, loads of you still give them credence. There were St Georges flags everywhere!! In pubs, supermarkets and even on adverts on the telly for international credit cards (Mastercard)!

Those Somalis must have been very busy contacting all of these agencies asking them to remove the flags.

Please, please, please... get a life.

Actually, I've just done a quick tally, and it seems that there's only about 4 people who've posted on this thread who seem to believe the story. The rest of the posters are either sceptical, dismissed the story straight away, or are indifferent.

The question is though, why do people make up and perpetuate this kind of rubbish. The Sun does it because it seems to sell their newspapers. Others seem to do it to perpetuate a climate of fear, paranoia and xenophobia.

Like the man says, get a life, and stop being so gullible.