The tiny safety pin is making a huge impact in Great Britain—and it has nothing to do with punk rock.
Following last week’s stunning Brexit vote, the United Kingdom saw a staggering 57 percent increase in reported incidents of xenophobic abuse, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. Some victims even took to social media to share photos of the alleged verbal and physical abuse they have suffered since the vote.
David Cameron, Great Britain’s outgoing Prime Minister, said in a statement:
Oddly enough, it is an American who came up with the small but mighty gesture for those looking to support immigrants in the U.K. As Mashable reports, a Twitter user named Allison proposed the simple idea of wearing a safety pin to show solidarity for immigrants.
The idea quickly took off with hundreds of social media users sharing their new flair with the world.
Of her idea’s success, Allison told Indy100:
Though some have criticized the gesture for being superficial, Allison believes the show of support can speak volumes in a divided nation.
Image via Twitter user Fuad Alakbarov