Video: Savage-like "cannibal" Zwarte Piet in blackface results in apology

The Sinterklaas Foundation in Leiden issued an official aplogy after a commotion erupted due their use of savage-like  "cannibal" Zwarte Piet characters in blacface makeup. Sinterklaas was accompanied by a parade of blackface Piet characters dressed in frizzy wigs with bones in and panther skins when he arrived in Leiden on Saturday, Omroep West reports.

These Pieten caused quite a commotion on social media. On Facebook they were called they were called "really nasty". Another reaction wondered how they "dare to claim that racism does not exist in the Netherlands". Left-wing website Joop.nl them a "racist caricature".

The Sinterklaas Foundation was shocked by the commotion and released a statement of apology, sayiing that this was not what they intended. The foundation wanted to use the prehistoric Pieten to point to the hype surrounding Tyrannosaurus Rex Trix, who arrived in the city earlier this year. "The Sinterklaas Foundation in Leiden regrets that people experienced this as offensive. We regret the confusion and will try to avoid this in future", the Foundation wrote according to the broadcaster. 

View the video here: http://omroepwest.bbvms.com/p/regiogrid/c/2723604.html