Sinterklaas comes to Gorinchem, 20,000 people expected to attend

Sinterklaas comes to the Netherlands on Saturday. The holy man will be the first to be welcomed in the Zuid-Holland town of Gorinchem, where 20,000 people are expected to wait for him.

If all goes well, the steamboat will dock at the Buiten de Waterpoort quay shortly after noon on Saturday. Sinterklaas and his helpers will then make their way in procession into the city to the Groenmarkt, where the program will end festively.

Overall, the municipality has not yet received any signals that people want to speak out for or against Zwarte Piet during the children's festival.

The national arrival can be followed live in an extra-long broadcast of Het Sinterklaasjournaal on NTR on NPO 3.

Even though the Sinterklaas festivities are expected to take place without demonstrations in Gorinchem, this was not the case in other towns in Zuid-Holland. For instance, in the Westland town of De Lier, Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP) demonstrated against the appearance of the Pieten during the St. Nicholas parade on Friday. Some of them were painted completely black, while others still looked too dark with soot stains, according to KOZP. The action group and the Zuid-Holland Saints Committee had spoken to each other in advance but had not come any closer.

The discussion led by Mayor Bouke Arends is the reason for the action group to allow the demonstration. It has even given KOZP "extra motivation", said group leader Jerry Afriyie, because "we realize that they are lagging behind". The group is also disappointed that Arends is not taking the lead to abolish the old "racist caricature Zwarte Piet", especially in the current year of commemoration of slavery. In the meantime, a pro-Black Pete action has also been announced.

According to regional broadcaster WOS, Arends thinks that the color of Zwarte Piet is not up to him but is rather a discussion that takes place within society and he would like to keep it there. "As mayor, I have no formal authority to determine the color of Sinterklaas' employee," he told WOS.

In other places, KOZP and organizing committees have agreed on the appearance of Sinterklaas' helper. Demonstrations on Sunday in Drunen and Etten-Leur have therefore been canceled. However, the group will demonstrate in other places where it still finds it appropriate. The action group has also already made its voice heard by attending council meetings in Venlo and Elburg.