Online retail giant Amazon has removed a racist shoe description after a complaint from Labour Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, David Lammy.
Lammy took to Twitter to share a screenshot of the product description for the show on Amazon. Alongside the image he wrote, "Just buying brown brogues tonight leads to this racist micro aggression. Is it 2020 or 1720? Please @amazon take it down."
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According to the Independent, the shadow secretary of state for justice had highlighted a separate incidence of racism that he had faced on Twitter on the same day.
His tweet lead to an outpouring of support on social media.
"What a horrible day you’ve had. I’m so sorry. Please know so many of us are totally appalled by the tweet and this. We stand with you x" wrote one commenter.
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Another Twitter user wrote, "They could easily stop this by automatically rejecting product submissions with offensive words."
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A third added, "This is horrible, David. I just tried to search for the item, so I could report & join you in asingk Amazon to take the ad down. I couldn't find it, so hope that means they have already done so. It should never have been put up in the first place."
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David Lammy later followed up the tweet with a second, stating that the product had been taken off Amazon.
"Thank you @amazon for taking this down now but given the item has been on sale since March what systems do you have in place for reviewing descriptions and not allowing offensive terms to be posted in the first place? This is not the first time." He wrote.
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The Independent also reported that the product, which was being sold by a company based in Sichuan, China has since been removed from Amazon.
Regarding the incidence of racist abuse that Lammy was also faced with on Twitter yesterday, the Home Secretary Priti Patel wrote on the social media platform;
"I am sorry you have faced this awful racist abuse @DavidLammy.
"I have asked the @metpoliceuk to keep me updated on their investigation.
"As I have said before, @Twitter must take decisive action against this sort of vile content much faster."
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