A woman dressed in a Union Jack dress was denied entry to her local Wetherspoon pub during an anti-illegal immigration protest in a Nottinghamshire town. Tanya Ostolski, 54, marched through the crowd, declaring that she had been refused service at The Picture House in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
A spokesperson for Wetherspoon confirmed that the pub’s manager requested customers not to enter with flags or any placards as they believed it was “important not to increase tensions”. This decision sparked outrage among some of the Union Jack-clad protesters who confronted the bouncers as they too were denied access to their local pub on Friday night, July 25.
The protest began at around 4.30pm and continued for the next two hours before crowds ended up back where they started, a mere 50 metres away from the pub. By around 7pm, most people had dispersed from the area near the venue.
Tanya claims she was initially denied entry due to carrying a St George’s cross flag, but even after stowing it away in her bag, she still wasn’t allowed in.
She told Nottinghamshire Live: “I go in there all the time and they refused entry. They didn’t let me in with my flag (separate from the dress), the flag is the English flag, so why shouldn’t I be allowed to have an English flag?”
“It’s our flag, it’s our nation’s flag. I wasn’t being aggressive or anything I didn’t get lairy or anything. I put the flag back in my bag, and they said I can’t come in because of my dress.
“They kept refusing me. I’m probably going to get barred now. They just said Tanya, you’re not coming in. I feel absolutely disgusted, why should I be refused entry for wearing a dress or a flag?”.
JD Wetherspoon’s “no-flags” policy is widely recognised. The chain faced criticism during the 2018 World Cup when its branches were instructed not to display England flags bearing the St George’s Cross, or any other nation’s colours, throughout the tournament.
Rather than flags, the establishments were adorned with bunting representing all 32 participating countries.
However, during the men’s Euro 2024 championship, the well-known pub chain overturned its prohibition on displaying England flags. Last June, Wetherspoon confirmed that individual pubs would be permitted to show flags if they chose to mark the sporting occasion.
Addressing today’s incident in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Wetherspoon spokesperson Eddie Gershon said: “Pub managers have a duty under the licensing laws, and as a matter of common sense, to judge every situation on its particular circumstances.
“In this case, the pub manager felt that it was important not to increase tensions. Therefore, on this occasion the manager asked customers not to enter with flags or any placards.”
Furious demonstrators marched through the town following social media posts by MP Lee Anderson regarding a local rape case.
The Reform UK MP alleged that a man charged with rape in Sutton in Ashfield, within his constituency, is an asylum seeker. However, this claim has not been verified.
Following these posts on Mr Anderson’s X and Facebook pages, protesters were prompted to assemble in the town centre. A counter-protest also occurred.