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.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.”“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 swimm...