Court A'dam: Zwarte Piet is discriminatory

The court in Amsterdam has ruled that Zwarte Piet is harmful towards black people. Mayor Eberhard van der Laan should have taken this into consideration when issuing the permit for the Sinterklaas. Mayor Van der Laan says that the court ruling was met with loud cheering. This is the first breakthrough in a long-drawn-out national discussion of whether Zwarte Piet is a racist caricature or a harmless tradition. Zwarte Piet opposers initiated these court proceedings. The court found that the municipality of Amsterdam should have tested the permit for the parade through article eight from the Human Rights Act, which forbids negative stereotyping of people. According to the opposers, the ruling is a historic achievement. Judicial advisor Frank King says that "the judge has snapped Zwarte Piet's neck on legal professional grounds." He says that this is the beginning of a social shift.