Politician suggests discrimination course for football analyst after monkey comment

DENK politician Sylvana Simons thinks that football analyst Johan Derksen should attend a discrimination course so he can realize the effect his comments have. In an open letter she addresses comments Derksen made on Voetbal Inside on Monday comparing her to a monkey.

"Through the grapevine I received the news that last night you again expressed your cultivated racism and sexism at table with your colleagues", Simons wrote, according to the Telegraaf.

While discussing RTL's decision to no longer use blackface Zwarte Piet, Derksen said that the only downside is "that hysterical miss Simons now runs through the country proud as a monkey." When presenter Wilfred Genee pointed out that the expression is "proud as a peacock", Derksen said that "she does not look like a peacock".

Simons suggests that Derksen takes an Educational Measure Discrimination course, which is part of DENK's election campaign. "In contact with people you continualy clasify as 'monkey', you will see and experience what you actually say and what effect it has."

She also invites Derksen to visit her party. "So you can see with your own eyes how 'scary' we really are. You are very welcome. And because it's you, I will, by way of rapprochement and exception as a brave girl, and black too, get you coffee. Although I think you'd rather have a cigar. No problem. We will arrange it."

Derksen told AD on Tuesday that he did not mean to deliberately hurt Simons. According to him, he just mixed up two proverbs in an "unfortunate way".