The ridiculousness of ‘safe space’ policies occurs across the world, as a bizarre situation comes out of the University of Edinburgh. As theBlaze reported, Imogen Wilson was accused of violating the school’s safe space policy, and almost dismissed from a meeting, because she raised her hands in disagreement with an accusation that she didn’t respond to an open letter.
Wilson, vice president of academic affairs of the Students’ Association, was at a student council meeting discussing a resolution in support of boycotting Israel, which she has written is “harmful.” Because she raised her hands, she violated the council’s safe space policy. Students are not allowed to raise their hands in disagreement, but are allowed to make gestures in agreement if they are “not used in an intimidating manner.”
While she was allowed to remain at the meeting, a motion did take place to remove her, with 18 out of 33 voting to have her leave. Although Wilson understands and supports “the importance of our safe space policy, and will defend it to the ground,” she “did not think that was fair.”
Wilson has emphasized this view over Twitter over as the incident has gained attention which she calls “a very few strange days.”
I’ve been in the Huff Post, Mail, Express, Independent, Telegraph and now the Times! A very strage few days https://t.co/rMEzQ4tchc
— Imo Wilson EUSA VPAA (@eusavpaa) April 5, 2016
This sums the whole thing up pretty well. https://t.co/migF3Jtxyj
— Imo Wilson EUSA VPAA (@eusavpaa) April 4, 2016
One student told Huffington Post UK that the complaint was made from someone who disagreed with Wilson politically, and that the 18 who wanted her removed may not have even seen Wilson’s hands.
The reactions against Wilson went so far that a student complained not only of her hand gesture, but that they could see her “making a negative head motion again.”
There has been a safe space complaint against @eusavpaa for inappropriate hand gestures. #eduni
— Student Newspaper (@TheStudentPaper) March 31, 2016
Proposer: I can see @eusavpaa making a negative head motion again #eduni
— Student Newspaper (@TheStudentPaper) March 31, 2016
Oh, the horror of hand gestures and head motions.
