A week ago, social media activist @imajsaclaimant tweeted a snap of a poster appearing on buses around the West Midlands, encouraging people not to give to beggars:
To date, the post has been retweeted over 4,200 times. The poster tells readers that giving to rough sleepers keeps them on the streets and encourages the homeless to buy drugs – which many people with any experience of working with homeless people would consider grossly simplistic, dismissive and prejudicial.
Fortunately, the high number of shares and evidence public outrage helped the tweet reach the attention of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who responded by ordering them to be removed and condemned them unequivocally:
A good result and proof, if it were needed, of what social media can achieve. No wonder the powers-that-be fear it.
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This is what happens when the Tories spend years proselytizing that the vulnerable are an undeserving burden on society.
It’s more than a little ironic that the Police who have a sworn duty to protect our society are publicly vilifying society’s most vulnerable.
As if homeless people don’t have enough to contend with…
With all the caring, sharing, minion-blaming and back-pedalling going on it’s almost as if there was an election coming soon to a Council near you…
They are part of the Hostile Environment and Tory Hate Campaign which is everywhere we look
Hey Skwawkbox,
Yet another crass and insensitive swipe at the homeless.
Under a continued Tory regime increases in the numbers who are homeless is inevitable. If not through public donation and charity how else might those vulnerable and homeless make provision for themselves if the government does not do so?
Namaste 🙂
DN
I would be interested to know how they could have gone up in error.
It would be helpful if it could be established who authorise these posters being produced. This information will allow the public to know exactly who is responsible.