‘F**k the Queen’: Debate over Remembrance poppy reignites after viral VIDEO of woman burning one

Footage of a young woman saying “f**k the queen” before burning a poppy ahead of Remembrance Day has been shared far and wide on social media, evoking widespread ire. However, this is not the first time the video has gone viral.

One recent post sharing the video has garnered over 170,000 views in the three days since it was tweeted, while another accrued almost half a million views. The posts quickly racked up angry responses about the woman’s “abhorrent,” “disrespectful,” and “attention-seeking” behavior.

“Does she not realise that the freedom she enjoys is because of the sacrifices made by so many? I like how so many wear my poppy with pride,” wrote one flabbergasted Twitter commenter. 

Many, however, expressed support for her actions in light of abuses perpetrated by members of the British armed forces in Northern Ireland, and pushed against the backlash by highlighting that public pressure to display the poppy symbol across the UK is not straightforward.

One military veteran wrote in the woman’s defense: “Freedom means nothing if it doesn’t apply to everyone. I didn’t serve my 22 [years] to defend the freedom of only those I agree with.”

“Here’s a video of me literally burning a red poppy in front of a Union Jack,” the Irish woman wrote in a caption accompanying the original 2018 post, which has since been deleted.  

The wave of outrage at the time of the initial post was enough to force the young woman to apologize and express remorse for her actions, saying: “I understand that I offended a lot of you. The post is now taken down. Please leave my parents out of this.”

The Royal British Legion states that the poppy is a symbol of support for “the armed forces community specifically, but not exclusively,” adding that Remembrance Day recognises the sacrifices made by the armed forces as well as the innocent civilians who lost their lives.

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