It's a mad mad world...
I'm from Belgium and we got also here the tradition of Sinterklaas ("Saint Nicolas" in french)... so we got also, since a few years, problems with some small minds people!
They think that Zwarte Piet ("Père Fouettard" in french) is a black man and then therefore it's a kind of racism to let him... to let him what?!?! Punishing the kids who don't listen??? To be the bad guy??? Come on guys!!!
And do you know why Piet is black? Just because, originally, he was delivering charcoal!! It's that simple...