A fish and chip shop owner in London has been ordered by the local council to remove a mural featuring a Union Jack flag and the words “A Great British meal” from the side of his building after some locals complained it is “not appropriate for the area.”
The Daily Mail reports that the award-winning Golden Chippy in Greenwich received the removal order from the council after a “number of complaints about the mural” and the council deciding it constitutes an “unauthorised advert” in a “preservation area.”
The Head Chef of the Golden Chippy is Kris Kanizi. His Union Flag mural has the words "A great British Meal" painted on the wall.
— David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) March 17, 2024
After complaints by some snowflakes the @Royal_Greenwich Council have ordered him to remove it.
The Cypriot heritage man has run it for 20… pic.twitter.com/fK5HHgPIbq
Shop owner Chris Kanizi, who is from Cyprus, commented “It’s just something to put a smile on people’s faces. But the council said ‘this is a preservation area – you can’t have that and you’ve got to paint over it.'”
“They also said people had been complaining, but I don’t believe that. Everyone who has talked to me say they love it,” Kanizi added.
Local residents who were asked about it expressed support for the mural.
The council also previously forced Kanizi to remove a similar sign above the shop for the same reasons in 2016.
Huseyin Kanizi, who is also known as Chris, installed the huge sign above the front of his Golden Chippy shop in Greenwich High Road more than two years ago.
— Richard (@ALL2B3) March 17, 2024
However, he fell foul of Greenwich Council officials who ordered him to take it down, claiming its “excessive size" pic.twitter.com/MhsGBU25d2
The owner has Kanizi has provided the council with pictures dating back to the 1940s, when the premises was a cafe, and included numerous large trade signs attached to the building.
You know what maybe Chris has an argument here because back in 1940 the Golden Chippy was the Corner House Café & look at that ad over the door? pic.twitter.com/BwARrCmBfi
— Meirion Jones (@MeirionTweets) March 17, 2024
Kanizi told reporters “I’m going to stick it out for as long as I can. They haven’t given me a date to paint over it yet, but they will.”
“I’ve got so many international customers. They all like taking a photo with the mural in the background,” he added.
Mark Simpson of the Reform Party visited the shop to express support.
➡️Delighted to go and show my support to Golden Chippy after @Royal_Greenwich council ordered their mural removed
— Mark G Simpson 🇬🇧🏴 (@RealMGSimpson) March 17, 2024
➡️When @LeeAndersonMP_ said “I want my country back” we all know what we meant
➡️On May 2nd vote for common sense vote for @reformparty_uk & @HowardCCox 🇬🇧 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/fzCEGRhX8T
Of course, it’s highly likely that some of the complaints are regarding the display of the British Union flag, which is now considered by many who live in the country to be some form of racist symbol.
@Royal_Greenwich We’re in Britain so why would you force a man to remove something celebrating British food by someone who lives in Britain but complains about a British mural?
— Deedy 🏴🇬🇧🏴 (@Deedy2201) March 17, 2024
London has fallen. We can no longer fly our national flag in our capital city.
— Ben (@Degen_Ben_) March 17, 2024
And, yet, this is their pinned post on X. pic.twitter.com/i6JhJVm00w
— DQD (@destinatorq) March 18, 2024
chsmange it to an EU flag and put 'best european meal' and see if they allow that then ask them what the differece is
— NC (@deputynclegg) March 17, 2024
What an absolute disgrace. We can have terrorist flags draped all over for months, terrorist slogans projected on the HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Yet a Cypriot can not display a Union Jack Flag. Just think about this!!!! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
— edwina dutton (@DuttonEdwi87671) March 17, 2024
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