A simple act of vandalism on dozens of Christmas trees made it appear as if a peculiar Ku Klux Klan chapter had sprung up in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg this week.
The wrapped trees had eyeholes daubed on their protective coverings giving the impression that a bizarre Klan gathering was taking place near the Primorskaya metro station on Vasilyevsky Island.
It’s unclear whether the vandals were specifically alluding to the white supremacist group or if they merely intended to create an army of “ghost” Christmas trees but the racially charged prank sparked condemnation on social media after it was discovered this week.
As well as the Klan connection, people also pondered why the trees need to be covered at all. The reason for the protective wrapping is that the young trees aren’t yet hardy enough to withstand the biting frost in the northern city. The covers are set to be removed in the New Year, banishing the ghosts and cleaning out the Klan in one fell swoop.
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