Raphinha accuses Disneyland Paris staff of ignoring his child on purpose, netizens call out racism
Barcelona and Brazil winger Raphinha has publicly blasted Disneyland Paris, accusing one of its employees of deliberately ignoring his young son during a family outing.
Raphinha accuses Disneyland staff of unfair treatment
According to @wearthepeace on Instagram (6 Sept), the 28-year-old footballer shared his anger on Instagram Stories after the family trip to the theme park reportedly took an upsetting turn.
A now-viral clip shows his son, Gael, running up to a costumed Chip n Dale Disney character with open arms, only to be ignored multiple times.
Source: @wearthepeace on Instagram
The character, however, was seen warmly embracing other children — all of whom were white — before walking away from the boy.
Source: @wearthepeace on Instagram
On the onscreen text, Raphinha wrote:
Your employees are a disgrace. You shouldn’t treat people like that, especially a CHILD. You’re supposed to make children happy, not snub a child. I prefer to say it was snubbing, to say nothing else. You’re a disgrace.
Source: Daily Mail
In another Instagram story, he questioned the unequal treatment: “I understand the fatigue of those who work with this, but why were all white children embraced and my son wasn’t?”
Netizens accuse Disneyland Paris of racism
The incident sparked outrage online, with many netizens accusing Disneyland Paris of racism.
One wrote sarcastically: “That poor child just learnt what racism is.”
Source: Instagram
Another demanded that Disney fire the staff involved if they could not do their job properly.
Source: Instagram
Some users initially believed the character simply didn’t notice the child, but changed their minds after watching the full clip.
Source: Instagram
Others declared it was yet another reason to boycott Disney altogether.
Source: Instagram
Disney has faced other boycotts before
This is not the first time Disney has been embroiled in a controversial incident.
Previously, some have called for a boycott of Disney, citing the company’s alleged support for Israel, perceived anti-Palestinian bias in its Marvel films and Snow White remake, as well as its decision to launch Disney+ in Israel.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has also included Disney in its list of boycott targets, urging people to avoid its products and services.
Other groups have also called for boycotts over other issues, such as Disney’s perceived support for LGBTQ+ rights and its handling of the 2020 ‘Mulan’ movie.
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Featured image adapted from FC Barcelona & @wearthepeace on Instagram.
