Here's why everyone is suddenly wearing safety pins
If you take a look around on public transport at the moment, you might see someone sat next to you with a safety pin on their clothes. Perfectly in-tact clothes, that don't need a safety pin.
The reason for this is both sweet and depressing at the same time.
Solidarity
Ever since the EU referendum last week, there has been a 57% increase in reports of hate crimes against ethnic minorities.
As a reaction, people are wearing safety pins as a way of showing solidarity with immigrants and EU citizens in the UK.
The idea is that if you wear a pin on public transport, or on the streets, it will let anyone who sees it know that you are a nice, tolerant human being. The kind of person you want to sit next to on a bus.
The sweet idea has taken off around the UK. It's just a shame that it had to come to this.
Joining the many wearing my big #safetypin for solidarity #PostRefRacism ✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/oObGoTl3ka
— CraftivistCollective (@Craftivists) June 29, 2016
Wearing a #SafetyPin this morning. Solidarity with those who have made this wonderful country their home pic.twitter.com/6zx9EMTC29
— Mark Ferguson (@Markfergusonuk) June 29, 2016
I'm also wearing #safetypin to show solidarity with immigrants and EU citizens. ☺ #HopeNotHate pic.twitter.com/6CSo1cqHFh
— Fuad Alakbarov (@DrAlakbarov) June 29, 2016
No piercing, so my #safetypin is going next to the other symbol of helping others - my stethoscope pic.twitter.com/u5aOhpHYWc
— Dr Keith Grimes (@keithgrimes) June 29, 2016
Proud to see my girl child, unbidden, go off to school with a safety pin on her blazer. #safetypin
— jennylandreth (@jennylandreth) June 29, 2016
The idea came to Twitter user Cheeahs.
I'd like to come up with something that can be made by anybody anywhere to pin on their jacket or coat to signify that they are an ally.
— miss pommery 1926 (@cheeahs) June 26, 2016
A safe person to sit next to on a bus, walk next to on a street, even have a conversation with.
— miss pommery 1926 (@cheeahs) June 26, 2016
I quite like the idea of just putting a safety pin, empty of anything else, on your coat. A literal SAFETY pin!
— miss pommery 1926 (@cheeahs) June 26, 2016
Since then, the idea has really taken off, and thousands of people are tweeting that they'll be wearing safety pins in solidarity with immigrants.
If you want even more of a reason to put a pin on yourself, everybody seems to love the idea except Piers Morgan.
This is utterly absurd: #safetypin
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 29, 2016
So if you won't do it to show solidarity, do it to #pissoffpiers.
In other Brexit news
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