The far right is hijacking the cross — and institutions are letting it happen

The far right has a new favourite prop: the Christian cross. From marches to online propaganda, extremists are parading religious symbols alongside Union Jacks and chants of “Christ is King.” This isn’t about faith. It’s about using religion as a weapon to give racism and nationalism a false moral authority.

From religious symbol to political weapon

At recent Tommy Robinson rallies, protesters carried large wooden crosses as if they were shields of legitimacy. As the Guardian reported, clergy have condemned the co-option of the cross. But condemnation is not enough. What we are seeing is not theology but political branding.

The cross is being stripped of any spiritual meaning and repurposed as a nationalist logo — a shorthand for “Britain is ours” and “outsiders don’t belong.”

The far right thrives on imagery. Flags, statues, slogans — these are shortcuts to identity and belonging. The cross, in their hands, becomes another way of marking who is “us” and who is “them.”

This is especially effective in times of social crisis. By wrapping racism in religious symbols, extremists try to claim moral high ground they don’t deserve. As analysts of Christian nationalism have pointed out, it’s less about faith and more about fusing religion with authoritarian power.

Where the institutions fail

Yes, a few bishops like Arun Arora have spoken out. But institutional responses remain timid. Silence from mainstream churches — and from political leaders — leaves space for extremists to define the symbol on their terms.

This isn’t about defending Christianity. It’s about recognising how nationalism borrows religious symbols to launder hate. If institutions don’t challenge that appropriation, they enable it.

When far-right groups succeed in linking religion with nationalism, they create a dangerous moral cover for racism and exclusion. It reframes xenophobia not as hate, but as “defending tradition.” And once that fusion sets in, it’s much harder to dismantle.

The cross does not need to be “reclaimed” as a religious symbol. What it needs is demystification: recognition that it is being used as a prop in a political project of division.

The far right and the cross: propping up racist agendas

The far right is hijacking the cross to prop up a racist agenda. Whether you’re religious or not, that should alarm you. Symbols matter because they shape public imagination. When they’re weaponised to normalise hate, institutions have a responsibility to intervene — and silence is complicity.

Featured image via the Canary