Anti-Zwarte Piet protest arranged for nat'l Sinterklaas arrival in Dokkum
Dokkum is getting ready for Sinterklaas' national arrival on Saturday, including putting up decorations and preparing for an anti-Zwarte Piet protest. The municipality of Dongeradeel, which includes Dokkum, gave Kick Out Zwarte Piet permission to protest, but is still working out the exact conditions and arrangements, a spokesperson said to Het Parool.
Kick Out Zwarte Piet announced their protest on Facebook. The protest will be preceded by a "March for Civilization", according to the group.
"The UN reported that Zwarte Piet is directly related to Dutch slavery, the College of Human Rights called Zwarte Piet a 'negative stereotype of dark colored people', and the Children's Ombudsman called Zwarte Piet in violation with children's rights. After years of protest, it seems that change is happening slowly but surely. In Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, Zwarte Piet has been abolished. The rest of the Netherlands is still stuck on the racist caricature. Resistance and protest cause change, so our resistance continues!" Zwarte Piet Is Racisme wrote on Facebook.
"We received the notification. They are allowed to come demonstrate, but only under certain conditions", the municipal spokesperson said to Het Parool. The municipality is currently discussing which conditions will be set.
A few of Dokkum's decorations for the parade, are also causing some outrage on social media. Zwarte Piet puppets hung on a number of buildings, look like they've been lynched. "This is Dokkum in the municipality of Dongeradeel, where they've apparently never opened a history book and inadvertently recreated lynchings. Or could it be deliberate?" Reasons Against Racism writes on Facebook.
