Anti-Brexit campaigners plan pro-European flag stunt during Last Night of the Proms

EU flags at the Last Night of the Proms. Photograph: BBC - Credit: Archant

A group of anti-Brexit campaigners have planned a pro-European flag stunt during the Last Night of the Proms.

The EU Flag Mafia have been handing European flags out at the event for a number of years with growing success – they first organised the stunt in 2016 after millionaire Brexit donor Arron Banks paid thousands of pounds to have union flags handed out.

The Remain campaigners claimed a publicity victory in 2017 when BBC television pictures showed a sea of blue and gold stars at the traditionally patriotic event.

European flags flown at Last Night of the Proms. Photograph: BBC. – Credit: Archant

It provoked Nigel Farage to angrily tweet complaining that the concertgoers who waved the flags were in denial about Brexit.

Last year they gave out a record-breaking 50,000 flags which were waved at venues across the nations.

MORE: Jingoism, politics and the Last Night of the Proms

This year the team has successfully crowdfunded to continue the stunt, but due to coronavirus restrictions the BBC have prevented audiences gathering to watch the spectacle.

Instead the campaigners are keeping the stocks for next year’s event, and instead will keep the tradition going with a virtual event.

The team has created a printable version of the European flag to wave during the event.

The EU Flag Mafia are urging people to tweet and share photographs of themselves waving a European flag from 20.00 on Saturday September 12.

The pictures and videos can be tweeted using the hashtags #BBCProms #LNOP and #ThankEUForTheMusic, as well as on Facebook on the ‘Thank EU for the Music’ page.