Outrage as taxpayer-funded swimming pool planned event ‘exclusively’ for black children

A taxpayer-funded swimming pool in Germany promoted an event “exclusively” for black people on Friday — sparking a torrent of outrage that forced it to be scrapped at the last minute by unapologetic organizers.

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The newly opened $346,000 public pool Volksbad — German for “people’s bath” — was due to host the divisive summer event organized by the anti-discrimination charity Each One Teach One, the German outlet Bild reported.

Swimmers were told the pool “doesn’t open to the general public until 6:00 p.m [Friday]; before that, it is open exclusively to black communities.”

It sparked widespread disgust, but was only nixed late Thursday after organizers said they “received racist threatening emails and threats of violence.”

Before that, the event at the pool next to the iconic theater the Volksbühne drew condemnation from politicians across the spectrum.

“Apartheid as a model for Germany?” Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative fur Deutschland party, said, sharing a photo of the pool’s schedule before it was ripped up.

“In the tax-funded art project ‘Volksbad’ white people are temporarily denied access. What is this supposed to mean? Tax funds for such events should be cut immediately!”

The Volksbad is described as “open to the public free of charge” and for “anyone looking to cool off in the heart of the city,” according to the city’s website.

Even more moderate politicians said the supposed anti-discrimination event made a mockery of the pool’s name, which translates as the “people’s bath.”

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“Personally I don’t believe in categorizing by skin color,” Christian Democratic Union pol Stefan Evers, who is the party’s lead candidate in the Berlin state elections, told Bild. 

“I understood the ‘people’s swimming pool’ as a swimming pool for all.” 

“I find it completely unacceptable that a theater heavily subsidized with public funds would misappropriate taxpayers’ money for a swimming pool,” said Alexander Krauss, the chief of the Berlin Taxpayers Federation. 

Around 300,000 euros were put aside to fund the 82-foot-long pool – which opened last Friday and will remain open until Oct.1

The event was canceled late Thursday — and the pool will remain closed to all swimmers Friday.

“The aim was to organize a pleasant summer afternoon for the participating children and young people and their families,” organizers at Each One Teach One said in a statement, announcing the cancelation.

“Due to the nationwide and often highly polemical media coverage, a climate has now developed in which we can no longer trust that the event will be a positive experience for the young people, nor that the physical and psychological safety of the children and teenagers can be guaranteed… not even by security forces and the police.

“Since the public discussion about the event began, we have received racist threatening emails, threats of violence, and discriminatory comments on social media.”

Volksbühne chiefs said the children could not be guaranteed a “relaxing afternoon,” while claiming the event was a “positive measure to promote structurally disadvantaged groups.”

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