GOOD Morning Britain's Adil Ray kicked off today at "racist" chicken shop branding meant to stop knife crime.
Piers Morgan's summer stand-in host slammed the Home Office's latest anti-knife crime campaign that puts warnings on takeaway boxes and argued: "Why don't we put warnings in pubs on pint glasses, 'don't beat your wife when you go home?'".
Adil, 45, said the project has been labelled "embarrassing, stupid, and racist" as newsreader Sean Fletcher summarised: "It's a stereotype isn't it. It's the assumption that black people just eat chicken."
Speaking to co-host Kate Garraway, Adil continued: "I thought it was a joke. It's incredibly demonising, we're in a society where we're supposed to be playing against this idea of stereotypes.
"That's ridiculous if you are a black kid going to get chicken this weekend you are going to think 'well hang on, is that me?
"Am I now involved in knife crime?' It's going to make you more angry and anti-establishment. I mean we know that there are beers that are called wife beater but do we put warnings in pubs, don't go home and beat up your wife? No, we wouldn't do that."
Many viewers agreed with Adil as one tweeted: "Oh yeah putting a message on boxes of chicken is going to stop knife crime isn’t it. I can’t believe people get paid to come up with these ideas."
One more typed: "Only black people eat chicken? What is this b****x gmb?"
As another moaned on Twitter: "Us whities like a bit of crispy chicken to."
Some 321,000 boxes featuring the Government’s #knifefree campaign have been sent to more than 200 outlets in England and Wales.
The insides of the boxes feature true stories of young people who have chosen to pursue positive activities, such as boxing or music, instead of carrying a knife.
Labour MP David Lammy tweeted: 'Is this some kind of joke?! Why have you chosen chicken shops? What’s next, #KnifeFree watermelons?'
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott tweeted: “Instead of investing in a public health approach to violent crime, the Home Office have opted for yet another crude, offensive and probably expensive campaign.
“They would do better to invest in our communities not demonise them.”
Meanwhile, Peter Grigg, director of external affairs at The Children’s Society, said: “More government investment is needed in education for young people about knife crime, healthy relationships, and exploitation, as well as in early intervention and prevention, and ministers must urgently address the £3bn shortfall facing council children’s services departments by 2025."
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