Belgian city cancels plans for Black female Santa Claus to hand out presents to children as critics slam 'woker than woke' festive event

A Belgian city has cancelled its plans for a black female Santa Claus to hand out presents to children after critics labelled the event as 'woker than woke'.

Queen Nikkolah, an African alternative to the Belgian Santa Claus - Sinterklaas - was also set to be draped in the colours of a Palestinian flag.

The character, dreamt up by artist Laura Nsengiyumva who called for Belgium to be liberated from 'colonial ideology', was set to visit the town hall until the mayor of Ghent caved into pressure to cancel the event.

'There is nothing wrong with Sinterklaas, as we know him,' Mathias de Clercq said. 'We shouldn't try to turn him into something else.'

The character of Queen Nikkolah was created to provide children with revised versions of traditional Christmas tales about Sinterklaas.

'People see Queen Nikkolah as a threat,' said Ms Nsengiyumva, who created the character in 2017. 

'But if I didn't like this tradition, I wouldn't have picked it up. It's also a desire to be part of it.'

She added: 'It came from a need from the community, not only people of colour, but I think also white allies who needed an alternative to deconstruct the colonial myth around Sinterklaas.

'I dream of a Belgium liberated from colonial ideology and a society without discrimination.'

Members of the right-wing New Flemish Alliance described the event as 'woker than woke'.

Nadia Sminate, a vice-chairman of the Flemish parliament, added: 'Queen Nikkolah's initiative is actually saying that entire generations of Flemish people are racists.'

More than 300 children were planning to attend the alternative Christmas event, where Queen Nikkolah was going to dress up in the colours of the Palestinian flag to raise awareness of the conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. 

St Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6 in Belgium and the Netherlands, with Sinterklaas usually accompanied by Zwarte Piet – or Black Pete - a black-faced boy with large, painted on red lips.

Last month, protesters called for a more inclusive celebration without stereotypes in the Belgian city of Kortrijk. It was the first demonstration against Zwarte Piet in Belgium.

The United Nations' high commission for human rights raised concerns over the Dutch custom with the 2013 government.

It suggested there was 'growing opposition to the racial profiling of Black Pete within Dutch society'.

Plans for an investigation into whether the character was racial stereotype were later dropped.