13 Nov, WASHINGTON- The diminutive safety pin is packing a punch these days with some Americans wearing the fasteners as a sign of solidarity against intolerance after the election of Donald Trump.
By placing a single pin on their shirts, people hope to convey a message of support to minorities, women, immigrants and others who may feel threatened by the strident rhetoric that carried the Republican billionaire to the White House.
The safety pin social media movement gained prominence in Britain on Twitter as a sign of solidarity with immigrant and minority populations facing a reported surge in hate crimes after the Brexit vote.
Since the US election on Tuesday, the phenomenon has started catching on across the Atlantic, with celebrities including Debra Messing as well as ordinary people posting images of their safety pins on social media.
During a bitter two-year campaign that tugged at America’s democratic fabric, Trump pledged to deport illegal immigrants, ban Muslims and called Mexicans rapists and drug runners, claims which have created fears of xenophobia now that he has been elected to office.
Since Trump’s upset win there has been a reported uptick in reports of racist and xenophobic incidents, fuelling fears for the period ahead.
The South Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups, tracked more than 200 incidents of election-related harassment and intimidation in the three days following the election.
More than 47,000 people have signed an SPLC petition urging Trump to clearly distance himself from “haters” — from white nationalists to anti-Muslim and anti-gay extremists — who are celebrating his victory. (AFP)
