Katie Hopkins Petition Gains 50,000 Signatures In One Day
The petition to swap Katie Hopkins for refugees has gained 50,000 signatures in just 24 hours. The petition claims that the columnist and former reality TV show contestant would be better replaced with 50,000 asylum seekers from Syria. More people sign as they find it online, with the woman tweeting the link herself to encourage people to feel empowered.
ITV News reports that the Change.org petition was created by Ben Fletcher, after he saw it was “clear” more could be done by the UK to help those fleeing Syria. The petition was started after photos of the drowned Syrian toddler, Alyan Kundi, were shared around the world. He went on to say in the petition that the UK has no room because of Hopkins and not because the country is full. Jokingly, he claims that her head takes up all the space. He wants to see her sent to Syria, while 50,000 refugees take her place.
Fletcher goes on to explain that he believes those fleeing the war-torn country deserves more. It would be a win-win for everyone.
The refugee crisis in Europe continues to grow, becoming a worldwide problem. Over the weekend, buses were put on by Hungarian officials to get asylum seekers and migrants into Austria. Austria welcomed them with open arms, but says that the relaxed border controls from the weekend were just an emergency protocols. Searches will start again to prevent human trafficking.
Over 50,000 people have now signed the petition, surprising Fletcher. He believed no more than 100 people would sign, viewing it as a joke. While there is an element of humor behind it, it also raised a serious point that there are tens of thousands of people who need help.
Katie Hopkins tweeted earlier this year, referring to the refugees as cockroaches. This was echoed by the UK media, which kept referring to them as “swarms.” However, Katie’s view of the crisis did not change, unlike the view of the media, after the image of the drowned toddler face down on the beach was shared. She made it clear that she does not care about them, angering thousands of British people.
According to the Independent, Hopkins remained silent after her column on Friday was retweeted by hundreds of angry Twitter users. On Monday, she returned, but without an apology. Instead, she shared a box of band aids, likening them to the updated foreign policy to deal with the asylum seekers and migrants. The petition to swap Katie Hopkins for 50,000 refugees continues to be shared by thousands in the UK.
[Photo by Handout / Getty Images]
