Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Pegida mocked for outrage at black children's photos on Kinder chocolate bars

Kinder put childhood images of German's national football players on packaging inline with upcoming Euro 2016 competition

Emma Henderson
Wednesday 25 May 2016 16:20 BST
Comments
Pediga's original post complaining about the race of the children on Kinder's packaging Facebook
Pediga's original post complaining about the race of the children on Kinder's packaging Facebook (Facebook)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Supporters of the anti-Islam group Pegida have expressed outrage at the use of non-white children’s faces on Kinder bars - only to find out they are of players in the national football team when they were younger.

Kinder bars usually carry an image of a blond-haired, blue eyed boy, but this has been changed ahead of this summer's European Championships for photos of the German team.

The decision to change the packaging has sparked protests from members of the anti-immigration group.

A screengrab of Pegida's original Facebook post after it was removed
A screengrab of Pegida's original Facebook post after it was removed (Facebook)

The far-right group wrote on Facebook: “They’ll stop at nothing” and posted a picture of the new wrappers.

The Facebook post included pictures of lkay Gundogan, who plays for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng.

Comments on the group’s post included one from, Sebastian Gollmer, who wrote: “They’re trying to pass this shit off as normal, poor Germany.”

Another user, Michael Shepherd said: “This is nothing but a fake, no?!?!?”

Opposing the post and its negative comments, Ferrero’s branch company Kinder Schokolade said it would “distance itself from any form of xenophobia or discrimination".

“We do not accept or tolerate these in our Facebook communities either,” it added.

Kinder had used the same image of a blonde-haired blued-eyed boy, Guenter Euringer, for more than 30 years. He even launched a book about his experience in Germany, The Chocolate Child, in 2005.

Kinder is now running a competition asking parents to upload their child’s photo to its website in a bid to feature their face on the chocolate’s packaging.

Kinder's response written below their video introducing the new packaging
Kinder's response written below their video introducing the new packaging (Kinder Schokolade/ Facebook)

Pegida, which stands for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West, is an umbrella group attracting support from conservatives and claim not to be racists.

The group, founded by Lutz Bachmann in 2014, wants to curb immigration and refuses to integrate with other races, especially Muslims.

Anti-Islam movement PEGIDA stages protests across Europe

In 2013, Ferrero withdrew adverts for chocolates that were aimed to tie in with the German political elections, following furious people comparing the advertising slogan, “Germany votes white”, to Germany’s far right NPD party’s propaganda.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in