This page is part of an mirror of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

This website is devoted to the science of vexillology (the study of flags).
All illustrations presented on this website serve exclusively to provide information in the context of vexillology.
The authors and hosts of this site explicitly distance themselfes from any symbols of unconstitutional organizations that may be depicted here.

Flags in Politics

Worldwide flag use by political ideology (loosely defined):

International political organizations:

Anonymous
ATTAC movement
Human Rights Campaign
Humanist Party
International Democrat Union
International Union of Socialist Youth
Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, a left-wing Esperantists' organization
World Federation of Democratic Youth

International political movements:

Proposals for an Earth flag "loaded" with world government projects
Protest flags:

Flags in politics, by country:

Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Malta
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico: political parties, trade unions, and other political movements
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Mozambique
Myanmar (see Burma)

Wales (independence movements)

Zambia
Zimbabwe

See also:

"Anti-" flags

Vexillographically, these consist usually of a well-known flag design with additional or subsituted elements.
António Martins, 20 November 2005

We have seen plenty of anti-American flags, a few anti-EU, an anti-Afghan, and probably an anti-Israeli one with a swastika.
Jorge Candeias, 20 November 2005

Are anti-something (mock and/or derogatory) flags (or flag designs) always political in nature? For example, while a hunting flag is (or may be) not political, is an anti-hunting flag always political? I'd say it is, based on a (broad) definition of politics.
António Martins, 20 November 2005

Yes, I would say that they are, too, because those that use them are trying to make a point and influence public policy, albeit sometimes in a broad context and a rather vague manner.
Colin Dobson, 21 November 2005

And I'd agree. Because if you oppose something enough to actively protest against it and fly derogatory flags about it, that means you want that thing suppressed or significantly changed that that's intrinsically political. Derogatory flags have always a strong political bend. They are flown when people flying them want an entity or activity suppressed, its policies changed, new restrictive legislation enforced against it or some other sort of major change about it.

There's an exception, though: when they are used as jokes. But even in that situation, the joke often satirizes political aspects about the target entity or activity. Not always, but often.
Jorge Candeias, 20 November 2005

Advertisement from our sponsor:
Bei Fahnenversand.de erhalten Sie eine Vielzahl an hochwertigen Flaggen, Pins und Aufnähern, zum Beispiel:

Bestellen Sie Ihre Fahnen im Flaggen-Shop bei Fahnenversand.de