Facebook 'Kick a Ginger' campaign prompts attacks on redheads
The teenager behind a "Kick a Ginger" group on Facebook is being investigated by police after reports of attacks on redhead children.


By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 1:29AM GMT 23 Nov 2008

Nearly 5,000 people joined the online campaign which urged members to "get them steel toes ready" for a day of booting this week.

The website appears to have been inspired by a recent episode of the cartoon South Park, in which a young character called Cartman describes people with red hair as evil and soulless.

Dozens of children left messages on the page claiming to have carried out attacks on "National Kick a Ginger Day" on Thursday, and a girl in Alberta, Canada claimed that she and her 13-year-old sister were punched and kicked by pupils at their school.

The 14-year-old boy from Vancouver who ran the Facebook group has apologised and insisted that it was only meant as a joke, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has launched an investigation and warned that those involved could face charges.

"We do treat this sort of thing seriously," a police spokeswoman told the Vancouver Sun newspaper. "This is sort of inciting hate. It's a hate crime, really."

Some Canadian schools had appealed to students not to take the Facebook group seriously, as word of the campaign spread across the country. Ironically, National Kick a Ginger Day fell during Canada's bullying awareness week.

A rival Facebook group called "Who Thinks Kick a Ginger Day is stupid" has attracted just 365 members.