A student was almost kicked out of a meeting after she violated a 'safe space' by raising her arm at Edinburgh University.
Imogen Wilson wanted to make a point at Thursday's student council session when she was told off by officials.
The
vice-president for academic affairs at the university's Student
Association was accused of failing disabled students by not responding
to an open letter.
She
immediately raised her arm to disagree but was made the subject of a
'ludicrous' complaint and told not to make the gesture again.
Imogen
was also warned for shaking her head during the meeting as it again
breached the 'safe space' which is part of the university's Student
Association rules.
She told Daily Style Entertainment'...I
raised my arms in disagreement, as we had contacted the writers of the
letter and tried hard to organise a meeting. It was for that reason that
a safe space complaint was made.'
Student Association policy says that council members should be respectful and considerate.
Section
6c of the safe space policy is defined as: 'Refraining from hand
gestures which denote disagreement or in any other way indicating
disagreement with a point or points being made. Disagreements should
only be evident through the normal course of debate.'
A vote took place to decide whether Imogen should be removed from the meeting after she was accused of breaking the rules.
The vote was in her favour: with 18 people for removal and 33 supporting her staying.
Imogen
added: 'I completely understand the importance of our safe space
policy, and will defend it to the ground, but I did not think that was
fair, and had it gone further I would have either left or argued against
it.'
One
student, a fourth-year, who wished to remain anonymous, said the
complaint was 'ludicrous' and was an 'abuse of the entire intent of safe
space'.
'We
were having one of the most emotionally tense councils of the year,
with the vote on the BDS [The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions]
movement and people speaking who live in Palestine or are Israeli on
both sides of the issue
There
was ample risk of there being an actual safe space issue taking
place—an anti-semitic or Islamophobic comment for instance—but the whole
debate was actually remarkably civil despite how emotional it was.'
First-year
Edinburgh student Charlie Peters tweeted against the safe space policy
and set up a petition against it. By yesterday afternoon it had 1,000
signatures.
'Safe spaces now censor "inappropriate hand gestures" - my university is becoming pathetic,' he told his Twitter followers.
The EUSA have been contacted by Daily style Entertainment for comment
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