Ross Barkley: Sun suspends Kelvin MacKenzie over Liverpool article

Columnist Kelvin MacKenzie has been suspended
by The Sun after he expressed "wrong" and
"unfunny" views about the people of Liverpool.
In an article published on Friday, MacKenzie
compared Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, who
has a grandfather born in Nigeria, to a "gorilla".
He said men with similar "pay packets" in
Liverpool were "drug dealers".
Merseyside Police are investigating whether his
comments constitute a "racial hate crime".
The Sun apologised "for the offence caused" and
added that it was "unaware of Barkley's
heritage".
In a statement of his own, MacKenzie reiterated
the latter sentiment, adding that it was "beyond
parody" to describe the column as "racist".
In the article, which has since been taken off the
newspaper's website, former editor MacKenzie
said:
Barkley is "one of our dimmest footballers",
also calling him "thick".
His eyes make him "certain not only are the
lights not on, there is definitely nobody at
home", adding: "I get a similar feeling when
seeing a gorilla at the zoo."
Men with similar "pay packets" in Liverpool
are "drug dealers" and in prison.
Alongside the article, The Sun published adjoining
pictures of Barkley and a gorilla on their website
with the caption "Could Everton's Ross Barkley
represent the missing link between man and
beast?" The picture was later removed.
Barkley, 23, was punched in a Liverpool bar last
weekend in what his lawyer described as an
"unprovoked attack".
Police confirmed they were investigating the "full
circumstances".
'It's a smack in the face to our city'
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said he had
reported the article to the police for a "racial
slur".
Speaking to BBC Sport, Anderson said: "Not only
is it racist in a sense that he is of mixed-race
descent, equally it's a racial stereotype of
Liverpool. It is racist and prehistoric."
Anderson later tweeted to say he had given a
statement to Merseyside Police and reported the
article to the Independent Press Standards
Organisation.
And in a further tweet, he said that "ignorance
simply cannot be used as a defence" and that
apology is "simply not enough".
Furthermore, he criticised Everton for their failure
to respond by banning Sun journalists from
Goodison Park, calling it "a smack in the face to
our city".
And he asked fans attending Saturday's Premier
League meeting with Burnley to turn their backs
on the pitch at 15:06 BST in protest.
MacKenzie was editor of The Sun when it
published a front-page article headlined
'Hillsborough: The Truth' in the aftermath of the
1989 disaster at Sheffield Wednesday's football
stadium.
The article claimed Liverpool fans were to blame
for the tragedy, in which 96 people died.
MacKenzie apologised in 2012.
Last year's landmark Hillsborough inquests
recorded that the 96 fans were unlawfully killed
and that Liverpool supporters at the FA Cup
semi-final had played no role in causing the
tragedy.
This Saturday, 15 April, marks the 28th
anniversary of the disaster.
Burnley midfielder Joey Barton, who was an
Everton youth player, tweeted: "Those comments
about Ross Barkley, a young working-class lad,
are disgusting. Then add in the fact he is mixed
race! It becomes outrageous."
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore tweeted:
"Implied racism at its finest."
Football's equality and inclusion organisation
Kick It Out said they had received complaints
about the "insulting and offensive" comments.
"We will be contacting Everton and the PFA about
their responses in providing support to Ross and
his family," they said.
BBC Sport has contacted Everton and Barkley's
representatives for comment.