Vandalism follows backlash from the winger’s birthday party in which dwarfs worked as entertainers
A mural celebrating Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has been defaced in the city.
The artwork was originally unveiled to mark Yamal’s 18th birthday last month. It depicted the young forward as Superman, a tribute to his position as a local hero who rose to become one of football’s brightest talents.
However, images circulating on social media on Monday showed the mural had been defaced, with the seven dwarfs from Disney’s Snow White painted around Yamal’s image.
But what does it mean?
Well, the theme suggests it is related to the controversy around Yamal’s birthday party on 13 July. Reports emerged that the player had hired dwarf performers in a private event outside Barcelona.
It quicky sparked criticism online and in local media, with a disability group – the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism – threatening legal action.
The group said that Yamal’s action was “intolerable” because it “perpetuates stereotypes, fuels discrimination, and undermines the image and rights of … all people with disabilities”.
The Spanish government even called for an enquiry into the event to determine if any of the country’s disability laws were broken.
That was nearly a month ago. The timing of the mural’s defacement suggests the controversy is still boiling in some quarters.
One of the entertainers involved has since spoken out in defence of the event, insisting that the work was carried out respectfully and legally.
“No one disrespected us,” said the performer. “We worked in peace. I don’t understand why there’s so much hype. We’re normal people who do what we want, in an absolutely legal way.
“All this fuss has come about purely because it was Lamine Yamal’s party.”
