UK: Laughing at “Safe Space” May be Disability Hate Crime

Diversity Macht Frei
September 28, 2018

It’s getting harder and harder to distinguish reality from Onion-style parodies. But this story is apparently real. Soon Britain will be able to supply the world with an endless supply of comedy just by reporting the news.

This tweet may be reported to the police as a “disability hate crime”.

One autistic party member, Rebecca*, told DNS this afternoon (Thursday) how she had seen Hartley-Brewer’s video on Twitter.

She had already used the conference safe space as she had been experiencing panic attacks because she had been finding the noise and crowds at the conference “overwhelming”.

She said: “I used it to chill out. It really helped.”

But she then saw Hartley-Brewer’s Twitter message, which she said left her feeling “humiliated and violated”.

She was supported by Disability Labour, which represents disabled party members, after turning up in distress at its conference stand.

She said she came across the stand and “just burst into tears, shaking with anger and rage”.

She praised the support she was given by Disability Labour and said she was now set to report the incident to the police as a potential disability hate crime.

A second disabled member also told Disability Labour that he believed the room was no longer a “safe space” because of Hartley-Brewer’s actions.

Hartley-Brewer has refused to apologise, although she tweeted: “I’m told that this ‘safe space’ at Labour conference is meant for people with autism and other disabilities. The sign doesn’t say that.

*Not her real name

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