The Proms.

[Thomas]

Does anyone else think this annual flag waving event is racist and offensive? Why is it allowed in a diverse society like the UK?

I'm surprised there's not a lot more protests.

[tamborine]

we have coach block bookings....only foreigners who join are europeans/egyptians/iranian; population majority is asian (especially teachers).

[jomifl]

It's just a lot of people having a good time, no more racist than a rap video or an india /pakistan cricket match. You are just being silly now go back into your shed and let off steam until you have simmered down. I expect you will get stoked up in the morning and get all puffed up again.

[jomifl]

far better to wave flags than to burn them....

[oscarina]

Last Night of the Proms is a great event, it is the final of the Promenade Concerts great shows throughout, Sondheim, Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, if you are not a fan of Classical music don't watch! I wasn't born in England but still enjoy, what is wrong with patriotism, Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem stirring stuff,
the concert was broadcast live from various UK locations and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, if they didn't like the event they wouldn't be there Nothing racist about it!

[modeller]

Don't waste your time jomifi , he is acting like a 5 year old seeking attention. He is probably disliked and now he is trying to compensate for his lack of friends , by making what he thinks are clever remarks.

[boxtops]

Hear hear oscarina - Thomas, you have experience of trying to book under the name Ahmed, then, do you? Do you have friends or colleagues named Ahmed, who've had this problem? - in which case they ought to complain about discrimination. I can ask the people I know with Asian names, if you like. You can believe what you like, but I'm not going to agree with you.

[rov1200]

I don't know if I'm alone in this but last nights prom was like a damp squid. The conductor was too formal and the gusto from the audience was missing. You get the impression it was played down because it clashed with the anniversary of the twin towers of 9/11.

[boxtops]

I didn't think that at all, rov - I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Eve]

How ridiculous! Proms is just one of the local events round here which goes on, to name a few there was a Carribean festival last month, a Mela, St Patrick's Day parade, whole weekend for Chinese New Year and just down the road from me has been in full swing the last few nights for Eid celebrations.

I love such diverse events and if I want to go stand in the park and listen to some great music and have a singalong and wave my flag and be like a big kid when the fireworks come on at proms then I ruddy well will.

I was at the local proms last night (with link up) and a lot of the music was foreign, John Barrowman guest starred and sang mainly show tunes, we struggled to understand the guy who did the link up as he had quite a strong foreign accent, the Philharmonic did a medley of TV theme tunes with people singing along to Postman Pat and the Teletubbbies, hardly BNP territory!

Can't say I noticed a mass influx of skinheaded tattoes thugs, more a load of people having a great time with family and friends eating posh picnics and having a few glasses of something special.

The only slightly "off" moment was when they announced the singalong sing we were doing for the live link up and the choice of a Liverpool anthem was met with a little reluctance by the Salford crowd but it was sung away (with a few Utd & City anthems making an appearance once the cameras had moved on). It was nonetheless, all very goodnatured

Yes, they did the traditional songs at the end and we had a great singsong to some spectacular fireworks. It was a great night!

[jno]

I quite agree. Imagine playing Jerusalem at the end of the evening - an insult not only to the Confucians, Sikhs and Buddhists among us but also to those meek and well-meaning atheists too, and all those many ABers who so firmly oppose the introduction of Middle Eastern elements into our society and who most certainly do not want Jeruslalem builded here, or Warsaw or Lahore either. I hope our Ukip representatives in the European Parliament can do something about this outrage.

And apparently, as well as the national anthem with its call to crush the Scots, they also played You'll Never Walk Alone, presumably as a sop to Liverpudlians, in hope that they won't steal the orchestra's hubcaps.

A very strange view of inclusivity in these concerts!

[trt]

Its the only night of the year that the British people can let their hair down and rejoice what makes us proud of our country.
Lets face it, it wont be long before its banned, so lets make the best of it!!!!

[flip_flop]

Easiest answer I've ever had to give on this site.

No, it is neither racist or offensive.

[jomifl]

middle eastern elements? please clarify jno

[jno]

search the site for mention of burqas or sharia law, jomifl, and see what people have to say.

[marval]

Last time I looked this was England

[naomi24]

I think it's superb!!

[anotheoldgit]

It goes to prove that they are not prepared to integrate into English society, whereas we are always prepared to join in their events ie Notting Hill carnival etc and celebrate the richness and diversity of other's culture.

It's a wonder that some Government quango isn't set up to investigate how to make the Proms a more multi-ethnic event, by introducing positive discrimination measures, so as to have a more balanced audience that reflects the multi-ethnicity of this country.

Perhaps they could offer free or half price tickets to certain groups?????? no that wouldn't work, they would only flog them off at a profit.

[jno]

flogging things off at a profit is a deeply ingrained part of British culture, aog (all the touts I ever see outside Lord's are white), so it shows how fast they are learning. Remind me... just how often have you joined in the Notting Hill carnival?

(Do you play in a steel band? I've always thought that would be fun.)

[sp1814]

This is a deliberately mischievious question designed to get and answer that AOG supplied.

AOG - "It goes to prove that they are not prepared to integrate into English society"

Sorry, but that opinion can be pretty quickly trashed...look at the mixture of races at any football match or any cricket match.

Have a look at the crowd at the V festival or T in the Park.

The reason you don't see many black and Asian faces at the Proms is simple...it's because light classical music isn't something that has widespread appeal to black and Asian people. That's all.

To say that ethnic groups are "not prepared to integrate into English society" based on their non attendance of the Proms is akin to me saying that middle-aged white women from Surrey are anti-black because you never see them at a Dizzee Rascal gig.

[jomifl]

Hi jno ..I asked you what you meant by 'middle eastern elements' I did not ask to be referred to what other people may or may not have said. So please answer my question or retract your statement. I seem to get the impression that you introduced religion into this thread, it wasn't in the question.