Racism row after baby blacked up as Rangers star Alfredo Morelos for Halloween

A baby is at the centre of a racism row after pictures of them with a blacked up face were shared on social media.

The infant was pictured dressed as Rangers football star Aldredo Morelos – in tribute to the sportsman.

It has sparked anger, with many branding the images racist, the Daily Record reports .

The baby was wearing a mini-Morelos Rangers kit, complete with the striker’s name on the back.

The picture was then posted on popular fans’ website FollowFollow.

However, the image quickly split opinion. Some supporters said it was racist and completely inappropriate in this day and age while others found the picture hilarious.

One fan complained of “too many snowflakes nowadays” and said “you can’t do anything without someone being offended”.

However, the picture was soon removed from the site.

The incident sparked a similar reaction to last year’s Halloween howler when a Motherwell mum dressed her daughter as a 'Lookie Lookie' man – a nickname for beach traders in foreign holiday resorts.

And nursery nurse Claire Flynn, 26, posted a picture of the three-year-old coated head-to-toe in black facepaint on Facebook .

Claire was adamant that the costume choice wasn’t intended to be offensive, and said anyone who thinks so needs to 'get a grip'.

Speaking to the Daily Record,  she said: "I'm not going to apologise for this or delete my post. If people want to be all PC about it they need to take a look at themselves. It's really not an issue.

"We were in Magaluf on holiday in September and Sienna got a toy monkey from the Lookie Lookie men. She loved them and wanted to go back and see them every day.

"That's when I had the idea. I'm just a creative person and that's what Halloween is all about.

"It's a kid in a costume wearing facepaint. People need to get a grip.

"I'm not going to bow down to anyone that has an issue with this. I'm not a racist and I've not seen anyone calling me a racist.

"People dress up as Jimmy Saville and and no one calls them a paedophile and the people who dress up as Hitler don't get called supporters of Nazi propaganda either."

In May this year we also told how a mum of three has denied being a racist after she sparked outrage by  “blacking up” as pop icon Prince  at an 80s tribute night.

Catherine McBride, 47, covered her face in dark foundation to mimic the Purple Rain singer but was asked to leave the 80s Mania event by staff at Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre.

She insisted she’s not racist and only  blacked-up  as “a bit of fun”, adding: “It wasn’t my intention to upset anyone – although the foundation was pretty dark.”

However, anti-racism campaigners have repeatedly condemned white people blacking up their faces.

Zandra Yeaman, of the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, said blacking up reinforces the idea that black people are appropriate targets of ridicule.

She added: “The history of the blackface is rooted in racist bigotry and is a legacy of slavery.

“During the 19th century, blackface originated in the white man’s characterisation of plantation and free slaves.

“The caricatures depicted were deliberate in associating black people with low intelligence and buffoonery.

“This took such a firm hold that often white audiences went on to expect any person with dark skin to conform to these racist stereotypes. This is not acceptable and continues to be rooted in racist bigotry.

“If the argument is they didn’t know the history, then they need to ask themselves how have they managed to not know this.

“When people say, ‘I didn’t mean it like that’, they should ask themselves, ‘Am I causing harm?’”

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