Remembrance Day is held each November in the U.K. to honor and remember the thousands of servicemen and women who lost their lives in service to their nation from World War I to the present day.
Events and expressions of appreciation, gratitude and honor are similar to America’s Veterans Day.
One of the symbols of Remembrance Day is a red poppy worn on the lapel. Poppy sellers around the country sell the poppies to raise funds for various charities geared toward veterans.
GBN News reports, however, poppy sellers are ‘too nervous’ to wear the iconic emblem to mark Remembrance Day amid fears of backlash and some have been forced out of locations by protestors.
Footage circulating on social media showed poppy sellers have been among those intimated by a baying mob of pro-Palestine protesters in recent weeks.
Scottish veteran Jim Henderson, 78, alleged he was kicked and punched at Edinburgh Waverley on Saturday.
A volunteer selling poppies in a Tesco supermarket in Northern Ireland was filmed being verbally abused by a woman who asked repeatedly who gave her permission to sell “badges for murderers”.
Shocking moment Tesco shopper berates pensioner saying poppies are ‘badges for murderers’ https://t.co/viFwFqcL09
— LBC (@LBC) November 9, 2023
Poppy sellers in various locations around the U.K. were surrounded by pro-Palestine activists and forced to leave.
Nothing to see here… Totally normal.
Just 3 Poppy sellers showing true British Values surrounded by a terrorist supporting hate mob in Charing Cross Station, London. pic.twitter.com/MirrRdq47e
— Stephen James (@StephenJamesGBR) November 4, 2023
When poppy sellers cannot honour the dead, we must take a stand
It shows how weak our country has become if a patriotic day raising money for veterans ends with them surrounded by enemies of patriotism
Must read from @AllisonPearson https://t.co/N6X08Lhvwo
— Nile Gardiner (@NileGardiner) November 7, 2023
Others are also accusing politicians of pandering by choosing to whether to wear the remembrance based on the audience.
The day a poppy is offensive is the day you see this man lacks the courage to defend anything https://t.co/IOc0Tw0HQD
— June Slater (@juneslater17) November 2, 2023
Johnny Mercer, the Minister of State for Veteran’s Affairs, shared,“The saddest thing my generation of veterans ever say to me is that they struggle to recognise the country they wore the uniform for. This is not it. We mustn’t allow it to become like this.”
Watch below for a brief history of the poppy.
