Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Sinterklaas
Sinterklaas - Credit: twixx / DepositPhotos - License: DepositPhotos
Culture
Entertainment
Sinterklaas
Zwarte Piet
blackface
Leeuwarden
Racism
SInterklaas arrival
Friesland
SSIL
Tuesday, 12 October 2021 - 09:47
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Organizers of Leeuwarden Sinterklaas party quit over Zwarte Piet appearance

SSIL, the foundation responsible for organizing the annual Sinterklaas party in Leeuwarden, resigned on Monday. The organization fears that protests around the appearance of controversial character Zwarte Piet will make the party unsafe, Omrop Fryslân reports.

Leeuwarden opted for Gray Pieten with gray faces, instead of the traditional Zwarte Pieten in full-blown blackface makeup. Action group Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP) objected to this, asking that the city use Chimney Pieten with soot swipes on their faces instead of Piet characters in full-face makeup. KOZP also announced a protest during the Sinterklaas arrival party, according to the Friesland broadcaster.

SSIL said that the demonstration and any possible counter-demonstrations would put public safety under pressure. The foundation, therefore, withdrew from organizing the party. "In order to allow the arrival party of Leeuwarden to continue, the entire organization of SSIL is withdrawing, and we, with a heavy heart, transfer the entire foundation to other organizers and volunteers," the foundation said.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • People faking disabilities to skip long lines at Schiphol
  • Eight arrested for farmers riot at minister’s home; Airport protest relaxed
  • Monkeypox fears for Pride Amsterdam; Push to get men vaccinated
  • Netherlands to ban exotic pets: report
  • Gynecologist used his own donor sperm to secretly father 41 children, not 21
  • Shell to build Europe's largest green hydrogen plant in Rotterdam

Top stories

  • One-year anniversary of Peter R. de Vries shooting
  • Big cities to push Dutch population growth in coming years
  • Video: Police fire shots at Heerenveen farmer protest; Actions at Groningen airport today
  • Covid infections may be stabilizing at new peak, but hospital total jumps 20 percent
  • Bisexual people often victims of violence; Situation not improving
  • Delayed care in Covid cost at least 320,000 years of life: RIVM

© 2012-2022, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content