Belgian anti-racism activist forced to flee town in blackface row

Folkloric festival urged to ditch practice of parading a chained white man in black makeup

An anti-racism activist has said he was forced to leave the Belgian town of Ath on Sunday after a row with local authorities about a folkloric festival.

A carnival float featuring a white man in blackface called "the savage" featured on Sunday as part of Ath's annual festival, despite calls to abandon the practice, which campaigners say is an act of "symbolic violence" towards black people in Belgium.