I don’t really know what group you’re referencing, so I don’t mean this to be apologia for any particular group, but those aren’t mutually inconsistent viewpoints; they’re both consistent with free speech (making fun of censorship and then objecting to it).
I was quite surprised in the 2010s when 'safe place' started to be made fun of online and somehow considered censorship. I always thought it was useful tools to engage in free discussions about extremely sensitive topics.
Tensions were exacerbated because those universities frequently tried to reserve those spaces specifically for students of certain identity categories (obvious discrimination), and they were also trying to create designated "free speech zones" on campus, suggesting free speech was not permitted elsewhere.
I see a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to people criticizing the idea of a private safe space while the critics themselves engage in their own private safe space (there’s a certain subreddit that loves to call others “snowflakes” while the subreddit itself aggressively and formally censors). I think hypocrisy with respect to public safety spaces (in which government censorship concerns are relevant) is rarer, but I’m sure it exists.