It was bitterly resented by nationalists who saw the Act as being deliberately designed to suppress their identity.

[1] The Act gave the Royal Ulster Constabulary a positive duty to remove any flag or emblem from public or private property which was considered to be likely to cause a breach of the peace, but legally exempted the Union Flag from ever being considered a breach of the peace.

As a result, of all the flags likely to be displayed in Northern Ireland, almost exclusively the Irish tricolour would be deemed a breach of the peace.

[4] Nationalists had also organised boycotts of shops which openly celebrated the coronation with the display of the Union Flag, increasing tension and unionist fears.

The enforcement of the Act could on occasion lead to rioting, most notoriously during the UK General Election of 1964 on the lower Falls Road in Belfast.