The lead up to the most popular Dutch holiday has begun with the arrival of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) in the Netherlands. This past weekend, the saint arrived by boat in a number of Dutch cities, along with his helpers the Zwarte Piets.
But Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) is a controversial figure. People protesting against him in Amsterdam and Dordrecht were arrested, in what some are calling police brutality.
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The fact of the matter is that many people find the use of blackface a bizarre component of these festivities. Kids by the thousands don their own Zwarte Piet costumes, most don't bother with the face paint. Do people really think that the whole holiday would be impacted if face paint were no longer used?
But all that's beside the point. If officials feel the need to roughly arrest peaceful protesters, then something has definitely gone wrong in the Land of Peace and Tolerance.
What is skin colour ? Does not matter even the U.S. present president has tanned colour, and probably in the near future The Netherlands will have a coloured skin PM.
Oh, you think so? At the Parliament, a black person? They haven't done it in all this time,why now? Because another black person is president of a country that has a completely different history with race relations from the Netherlands, what give you the feeling there going to do it here, right here in the Netherlands? I gave up holding my breath, but all power to the protesters!
Oh, you think so? At the Parliament, a black person? They haven't done it in all this time,why now? Because another black person is president of a country that has a completely different history with race relations from the Netherlands, what give you the feeling there going to do it here, right here in the Netherlands? I gave up holding my breath, but all power to the protesters!
Why does no one complain about the black guy who painted his face white ?
In case you did not notice him either, he is riding the horse !
It's too bad Zwarte Piets don't do what they used to do...if they did Anonymous would be living in Spain. The first time I saw the Zwarte Piets, I was shocked. This is 2011 after all. You know the Mayan's used to throw their children off the mountain to get rain, and the rain did come. But we don't throw children off the mountain anymore. This "if you don't like it go back to where you came from" is such childless and backward thinking. Where are your wooden shoes, little white hats and long dresses? How would you like that to be the current white dutch perception? Well the blacks don't like their image to be whites with black face passing out small uneatable and bacteria infested cookies.....and working for a white saint on a white horse. You did change the story from the blacks putting the "bad" kids in a bag and hauling them away to "well their black because all the soot in the chimneys" so why not change the color of the Zwarte Piets. If you can't see the hurt it causes for black people then its sad....I'v always thought it was part of The Netherlands racist past and its time to move forward.
They must protest in the parliament doors,it is where the problems going to solve. Not in this popular meeting.
Uh.... "go back to where you came from"?... EXCUSE ME???
Tundrabert is so so right and I second what they said. If you don't like it.... go back to where you came from.
Wow, i am from Amsterdam... Born and raised! And i -know-this by the way forever changing tradition is without a doubt -->racist. people over here are just so in denial beyond believe. But hey so tell me.... Then where am i supposed to go according to you? You are so ignorant.
What is the matter with people I can't believe they don't have anything better to do then try to change the world to what they like to see.
Get I live complainers.
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