A primary school has been forced to cancel its Christmas play after receiving “racist and abusive messages” online over its refugee storyline.
Staff and pupils at Cauldeen Primary School in Inverness were preparing to stage a production of a show called Gimme Gimme Gimme, featuring a scene about refugee children caught up in the Syrian conflict.
The hour-long musical, created by Edgy Productions in 2016, intends to show how some less fortunate children spend Christmas.
But the school has now been forced to axe its plans after it sparked backlash on social media.
Pupils will instead take part in “other festive learning activities” on the lead up to Christmas.
A Highland Council spokesman said: “Following negative feedback on social media, including racist and abusive messages – some of which were directed at the school and staff – the school has made the wellbeing of staff and pupils its main priority.
“Instead of a Christmas show, classes will enjoy other festive learning activities in school.
“Under devolved school management, decisions like this are an operational matter for the school.”
Pupils at the school will take part in ‘other festive learning activities’ following the cancellation of the play
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PA
Police Scotland said it had received a report of “threatening and abusive communications online” on the morning of November 21.
“Inquiries are ongoing,” a force spokesman stated.
In the show, characters Chloe and Henry “witness true hardship as Santa shows them the conditions in which a group of refugee children are living,” as stated on the Edgy Productions website.
Among the list of characters alongside “Santa’s chief helpers” is a journalist reporting from a refugee camp in Turkey and a Red Cross worker.
Edgy Productions’ managing director, Andrew Oxpring, said he was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the alleged abuse received by staff at Cauldeen Primary.
“The musical production in question was written and published in 2016,” he told The Press and Journal.
“It contains a single scene and song about refugees caught up in the Syrian conflict and encamped on the Turkey/Syria border.
“This was international headline news at the time.
“If some people have mistakenly inferred that this children’s production has any content about the migrant situation, which has sparked debate in the UK some nine years later, then their reaction is misplaced.”
The Christmas play row comes amid tensions in Inverness after the Government announced plans to house about 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks, an army barracks in the city.
Labour ministers are seeking to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into what they deem “more suitable” accommodation.
At a Highland Council meeting held earlier this month council leader Raymond Bremner disputed claims by Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander that the authority had been consulted on the plans.
“There has been no real engagement as far as I’m concerned, and trying to get clarification has been a challenging process to say the least,” he said.
A number of councillors queried whether Cameron Barracks itself is a suitable building, given the need for a £1.3 million refurbishment.
Concerns were also raised about “community cohesion” and how the local authority could ensure people are prepared for the “sudden” presence of the asylum seekers without having more information about the plans.
