Protocol on the Flying of Flags from City Hall

City Hall

1. That a consistent flag flying policy be achieved for City Hall by only flying the Union Flag and St George's flag. In normal circumstances all other flags should be flown only from the flag poles in Centenary Square.
2. In exceptional circumstances where the Centenary Square flagpoles are unavailable the following flags will also be permitted to fly from City Hall, UK Saints day flags, The Yorkshire flag, The European Union flag, The British Legion flag, United Kingdom armed services flags.
3. That flags should be lowered to half mast only on the death of a Freeman of the City, Lord Mayor or Lady Mayoress, serving member of the Council, ex Lord Mayor or ex Lady Mayoress of Bradford Council, local Member of Parliament or for a national day of mourning. With the exception of national mourning, where a period of more than five working days is likely to elapse before a funeral takes place the flag be raised to full mast following the second day and then lowered to half mast on the day of the funeral.
4. Guidelines on national days of mourning are attached at Appendix A below.

Centenary Square

5. A revised list of flag flying days be drawn up for the Centenary Square flag poles, various Commonwealth and other resident communities independence days, Yorkshire Day, Remembrance Day, United Nations Day and Rastafari community celebration days. A list is attached as Appendix B which may be amended.
6. On days when the City Hall flags are being flown at half mast, other national flags on Centenary Square continue to be flown at full mast unless a United Kingdom flag is present in which case all other flags should be removed and the United Kingdom flag be flown at half mast.
7. Where another nation is observing a day of mourning and the Council wishes to express its support the flag of that nation may be flown alone at half mast. If the mourning is also being observed by the UK the Union Flag may also be flown at half mast to the right of the other flag.

Requests by communities and organisations not included on the list be determined by the Director of Legal and Governance (City Solicitor) following appropriate consultation.

Appendix A: Guidelines on national days of mourning

Flying of flags at half mast

'Half mast' means that the flag is flown two-thirds up the flagstaff. The occasions on which flags are to be flown at half mast are:

1. from the announcement of the death up to the funeral of the Sovereign, except on Proclamation Day, when they are hoisted right up from 11am to sunset;
2. the funerals of members of the Royal Family, subject to special commands in each case;
3. the funerals of foreign rulers, subject to special commands in each case;
4. the funerals of serving and ex-Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, and the funerals of serving and ex-Scottish First Ministers, subject to special commands in each case.

Rules when days for flying coincide with days for flying at half mast

Flags are to be flown right up all day:

1. although a member of the Royal Family, or a near relative of the Royal Family, may be lying dead, unless special commands are received from The King to the contrary;
2. although it may be the day of the funeral of a foreign ruler.

If it is a day on which a flag would fly, but the body of a very distinguished subject is lying at a Government building, the flag may fly at half mast on that office until the body has left, after which the flag is to be hoisted right up. On all other Government buildings the flag will fly as usual.

Acts of terrorism and other human tragedies; The death and funeral of serving and ex-serving foreign rulers

In the event of an act of terrorism or other human tragedy, flags should not be flown at half mast unless a special command is issued to the contrary.

Appendix B: Flag Days

Date	Event	Flag
25 January	Burns Day	Scottish Flag
26 January	Australia Day	Australian
1 to 28 February		Inclusive Pride Sew Keighley Pride
1 March	St David's Day	Welsh
6 March	Ghana Independence Day	Ghanaian
Second Monday in March	New Zealand Commonwealth Day	New Zealand
8 March	International Women's Day	IWD Flag (flag raised for 1 week)
13 March 2023 (second Monday in March)	Fly The Flag for the Commonwealth	Commonwealth Flag
17 March	St Patrick's Day	Irish (1st Flag pole) St Patrick's Saltire (Red X on white back ground) - (2nd flag pole)
26 March	Bangladesh Independence day	Bangladesh
23 April	St George's Day	England (City Hall)
28 April	Workers Memorial Day	City Hall Roof union flag at half mast
9 May	Europe Day	EU
11 May	Bradford City Fire	Bradford City Flag
17 May	IDAHOT and LGBT (International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia)	Pride Flag (rainbow flags x 2) Trans Flag (purple flags x 2)   (if possible 2 x flags at each side of Centenary Square – ie 4 flags in total)
30 May Approximately (last Saturday in May – Flags to go up on the Friday morning if possible)	Bradford Pride Festival (also known as LGBT - Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans Pride)	Pride Flag (rainbow flags x 2) Trans Flag (purple flags x 2)   (if possible 2 x flags at each side of Centenary Square – ie 4 flags in total)
14 June	Estonian Day of remembrance	Estonian Flag
18 June	Waterloo	Army flag
22 June	UK celebrates Windrush Day to honour the British Caribbean community	Windrush flag
22 to 27 June	Veterans Day	Armed forces day flag plus, (RAF, RN and Army)
1 July	Canadian Dominion Day	Canadian
5 to 12 July 2020	Srebrenica Memorial Week	Srebrenica flag (Different dates each year)
1 August	Yorkshire Day	Yorkshire flag (If possible 2 flags 1 each side of centenary square)
6 August	Jamaican Independence	Jamaican
14 August	Pakistan Independence Day	Pakistan
15 August	Indian Independence Day	Indian
24 August	Ukrainian Independence Day	Ukrainian Flag
3 September	Merchant Navy Day	Red Ensign
9 September	Emergency Services Day	999 Day Flag
A week in September (RAFA Secretary notifies civic affairs annually of date)	Battle of Britain	RAF Flag
21 September	United Nations	United Nations
23 September	Bi Day of Visibility	Bi flag
1 October	Black History Month	Black History Month Flag
1 October	Nigerian Independence Day	Nigerian Flag
21 October	Battle of Trafalgar	Union flag
24 October	United Nations Day	United Nations
24 October	Kashmir National Day	Kashmir Flag
1 to 11 November	Remembrance	Royal British Legion RBL 'Poppy' flag and a Union flag on each side of the Square and a large RBL flag and Union on the roof.
Second Sunday in November	Remembrance Sunday	A 'Poppy' and a Union flag on the staffs at the Cenotaph
3 November	Dominican Independence	Dominica
20 November	Trans Day of Remembrance	Trans Flags x 2
25 November to 10 December	16 days of action between White Ribbon Day and International Human Rights Day (with the exception of the dates below)	White Ribbon Flag
30 November	St Andrew's Day	Scottish
30 November	Barbados Independence	Barbados
1 December	World AIDS Day	Red Ribbon flag