A number of Good Morning Britain viewers have blasted the ITV breakfast show after it conducted a series of interviews and surveys about the subject of the Union Jack and England flags.
According to the ITV programme, a survey conducted in collaboration with Opinium revealed that 34 percent of people from Black and ethnic minority groups had experienced racist abuse since August.
The time frame of the survey was to coincide with Operation Raise the Colours, in which patriotic demonstrators have been erecting Union Jack and St George's flags up and down the country in public spaces.
The survey also said that half of the 34 percent surveyed who claimed to have experienced racist abuse felt the flag movement was behind the incidents.
ITV GMB: Ranvir Singh introduced the report on Tuesday
|ITV
Elsewhere, 28 percent of those surveyed said they felt less safe in the UK than they did last year.
Good Morning Britain reporter Polly Bartlett delivered the findings in a segment on Tuesday morning, in which she explained: "It's lunchtime at this busy Lebanese grill. Kebabs and falafel are on the menu. Sharing food brings the community together in this diverse corner of South London."
Ms Bartlett was joined by three guests to go over the survey's findings. Liberal Democrat councillor Hina Bokhari, local resident Mariam, and John Azah of the Kingston Race and Equalities Council all took part.
Ms Bokhari told viewers: "We may look different, we may eat differently, we may speak differently, but there's also so much that we have in common, and this is what the Union flag is all about, uniting everyone together."
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ITV GMB: Polly Bartlett delivered the segment
|ITV
Ms Bartlett said to viewers: "But recently (flags have) been dividing opinion across the borough.
"Recently, Union Jacks and St George's flags have been displayed on lamp posts, painted on roundabouts and street signs, and graffitied on the side of a local mosque."
Mariam weighed in: "It then starts telling me, 'Is my daughter at risk?' I'll take her to her Arabic class, and I'm thinking, 'What's the security like there?'"
Ms Bartlett delved into the statistics that GMB's poll produced, before Ms Bokhari weighed back in: "We have seen a normalisation of racism. Very open, confident conversations where people are saying openly that they don't like Muslims."
ITV GMB: None of the guests invited to take part in the segment provided a counterargument to the flags' meaning
|ITV
Mr Azah shared his opinions: "Telling us after we've lived here for 50 years that we don't belong here.
"It's implicit that our Prime Minister comes out and calls racism racism rather than pretending it's freedom of speech."
Ms Bartlett told viewers of Sir Keir Starmer's response to the flag flying. "In a statement, the Prime Minister said that we will never surrender our flag to those who use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division," she pointed out.
"Those here hope that the sharing of views and experiences will give others food for thought."
ITV GMB: Liberal Democrat councillor Hina Bokhari
|ITV
The ITV show then clipped up the news segment to be shared across its social media channels. However, bosses decided to disable comments, meaning viewers on X couldn't directly reply to the report.
However, the report still caught the eye of many at home, who instead reposted the clip onto their own pages alongside their views on Ms Bartlett's piece.
And it's safe to say that many were left outraged with ITV. One prominent complaint centred on the show seemingly refusing to strike a balance by inviting someone who may have disputed the claims about flag flying into the discussion.
Others branded the decision to disable comments as "cowardly," with GMB seemingly doing its best to prevent critics from sharing their opinions on the report.
ITV GMB: John Azah of the Kingston Race and Equalities Council
|ITV
Meanwhile, others claimed the report did little but stoke the flames of division further, with many accusing the show of "gaslighting".
One such critic posted on X: "What a load of s***e!!! And how many of these were asked while in attendance at the #UniteTheKingdomRally??????? Zero no doubt.
"More narrow-minded mainstream nonsense, but hey, f*** the thoughts of the general British public!!!!!"
"Comments off, you gaslighting *****," a second furiously typed, while a third also hit out: "Replies turned off. Of course. ITV is in a close race with the BBC for most despised MSM broadcaster."
St George's flags fly from lampposts in Highters Heath | PA"No wonder you have disabled comments @GMB," a fourth fumed. "Every day you create division with your skewed race-baiting lies."
And another dismayed viewer typed: "It really is a shame to see our top broadcasters constantly engaging in this kind of uber-gaslighting divisiveness, isn't it?"
While a sixth defended those flying the flag. "Only a tiny minority could be said to be guilty of this. Do not confuse flag flying with any form of racism. That's ridiculous," they stated.
However, the report did receive some backing. Political commentator and regular Jeremy Vine guest Narinder Kaur agreed with the report: "No s*** sherlock. And comments turned off due to the vile racist comments guaranteed! This platform is a cesspit of the far right."
And a second claimed they could empathise with those in the report: "I shared one comment from over the weekend and I'm having to block so many trolls and bots," they said.
"There were flag-wearing lunatics who don't even live in the local area roaming around over the weekend and spewing hate. It is disgusting. Enough of this c**p please." (sic)