Police have been criticised for failing to arrest a man who was seen wandering near Big Ben draped in an Islamic State flag.
The man was photographed walking past a group of Scouts outside the Houses of Parliament as he wore a large Isis flag on his back. He was carrying a small child on his shoulders, who was waving a smaller flag in their hand.
💥#ISIS flag close to #London's Big Ben,days before 7/7 anniversary 📷 #UK #England pic.twitter.com/BHFWNbWP5D
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) July 5, 2015
A statement released by the Metropolitan police confirmed that the man was seen by police but that his actions were not considered to be unlawful.
“The man was spoken to by officers, with consideration given to relevant legislation, particularly the Public Order Act. The decision was taken by officers at the time that the man was acting within the law. He was not arrested,” it said.
“Wearing, carrying or displaying of an emblem or flag, by itself, is not an offence unless the way in which, or the circumstance in which, the emblem is worn, carried or displayed is such as to cause reasonable suspicion that the person is a supporter or member of a proscribed organisation.
“While support of and membership of ISIS is unlawful it is not a criminal offence to advocate the creation of an independent state.”
The decision not to arrest the man has been criticised on social media, with some using it to question wider notions of public safety.
@metpoliceuk Is is true about the man walking around london with an ISIS flag? He wasn't arrested? How can we feel safe in the same city? :(
— Charlotte J Hancocks (@cjcreativejuice) July 5, 2015
How can someone parade around central London draped in an #ISIS flag and not be arrested under public order offence? What a joke
— Joseph Ross ⚓️ (@jobieowen) July 5, 2015
How can a man be walking around central London with a ISIS flag and not be arrested.... Bloody joke!
— tosanabby (@_tosana) July 5, 2015
Images of the man were reportedly posted on a Korean forum after a tourist spotted him in central London.
The incident comes just days before the capital marks the anniversary of those killed in the 7/7 terror attacks, and a week after 30 British tourists were killed in the Tunisia beach massacre.
A Home Office spokeswoman declined to comment, adding that the decision not to arrest the man was an operational one.
