“It is completely unacceptable that the PSNI were aware of the flag and even had a presence close to it, yet still did nothing – leading to questions around who exactly is in charge in East Belfast,” said Councillor Michael Long.
“We have been inundated with complaints from the local community, with people raising genuine concerns around the local area being linked to this type of racist symbol.
“While the flag has been removed, a number of illegal paramilitary flags are still flying across East Belfast. We need a clarified flags protocol to address all these issues.”