Ben Cullen

Ben Cullen

Semantic Summary

Ben Cullen is a leading organiser in Raise the Colours (RTC), the far-right nationalist group that attaches St George's and Union flags to lampposts and public infrastructure without permission across Oxfordshire. Operating from Wallingford with ties to Reform UK, Cullen was one of four RTC figures named in a landmark June 2026 High Court injunction secured by Oxfordshire County Council, alongside co-founder Ryan Bridge and fellow members Trudy Wells and Kevin Good. He attended the June 2026 Britain First Birmingham march and the Henry Nowak murder protest in Southampton alongside representatives from Tommy Robinson's network and Patriotic Alternative. In 2019, he pepper-sprayed a man in a pub garden. On 30 June 2026, he was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children (Categories A, B, and C), with trial at Reading Crown Court — a revelation that prompted RTC co-founder Ryan Bridge to attempt to distance the group from Cullen despite extensive photographic evidence of their collaboration. Cullen represents the criminal-legal jeopardy increasingly afflicting RTC's inner circle, alongside murder-charged Billy Allison, and illustrates how flag-nationalist street activism serves as a vehicle for figures with histories of violence and sexual offending.

Platform: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

Category: Far-right, Protest coverage Status: Active (legal pending) Real Name: Ben Cullen Age: Unknown Location: Wallingford, Oxfordshire Monikers: Flagshagger (derogatory, by opponents)

Overview

Ben Cullen is a leading figure in the Oxfordshire branch of Raise the Colours (RTC), the far-right nationalist group whose members attach St George's and Union flags to lampposts and public infrastructure without permission. Operating primarily in Wallingford and Oxford, Cullen has been a key organiser of the group's flag-raising campaign across Oxfordshire since summer 2025.

Cullen has close ties to Reform UK and has been observed attending multiple far-right events alongside other RTC figures — including the June 2026 Britain First Birmingham march, the Henry Nowak murder protest in Southampton, and organising flag placements in Oxfordshire that prompted a landmark High Court injunction.

He has a criminal history: in 2019 he pepper-sprayed a man in a pub garden. As of 30 June 2026, he has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children (Categories A, B and C), with a trial due at Reading Crown Court on 1 July 2026.

Background

Cullen is from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, and has been involved in far-right street-level activism since at least 2019. In 2019, he pepper-sprayed a man in a pub garden — the incident was motivated by his belief he had been wrongly accused of stealing, demonstrating a pattern of reactive aggression that would later characterise his activism.

By late 2025, Cullen had become a principal organiser of the Raise the Colours campaign in Oxfordshire, personally putting up flags on lamp-posts and roundabouts in Wallingford, Oxford, and surrounding areas. Local residents reported feeling intimidated, with non-white residents saying they were scared to leave their homes.

Raise the Colours Activity

Cullen is described as a "principal player" in Raise the Colours Oxfordshire by local media, and as an RTC member by HOPE not Hate. He has operated alongside Ryan Bridge (RTC co-founder, now increasingly isolated) and other RTC figures including Trudy Wells, Kevin Good, and Jordan Wheatley.

Key events:

Indecent Child Images Charges

On 30 June 2026, the Oxford Mail reported that Cullen had been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children:

He is due to appear before a jury at Reading Crown Court on 1 July 2026. The story broke hours before his court appearance.

The charges sparked significant reaction on social media, with opponents of Raise the Colours noting the irony of a group that campaigns on "protecting children" and against immigration having a leading member accused of child image offences. RTC co-founder Ryan Bridge was reported to have distanced himself from Cullen, claiming Cullen "was not affiliated with Raise the Colours" — despite numerous photographs and videos showing him operating alongside the group.

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Revision #2
Created 2026-08-21 12:00:09 UTC by Admin
Updated 2026-08-21 12:18:37 UTC by Admin