Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Friday that he no longerwants the Netherlands to celebrate the Saint Nicholas tradition of"Black Pete," whereby white people in blackface, afro wigs and exaggerated red lipsticks portray delinquent Moorish slaves from Spain.
Rutte described his new view point during a parliamentary debate on Thursday about anti-racism demonstrations in solidarity with US demonstrationsafter American George Floyd — an unarmed black man — died in policecustody in Minneapolis.
Rutte said his attitude towards "Black Pete," known in the Netherlands as "Zwarte Piet," had changed since 2013. At the time, the prime minister had said: "Black Pete is just black and I
can't do much about that." Rutte said he now hopes that the traditionwill disappear in the Netherlands.
Read more at:
Dutch PM deems ′Black Pete′ tradition racist | News | DW | 05.06.2020
Rutte described his new view point during a parliamentary debate on Thursday about anti-racism demonstrations in solidarity with US demonstrationsafter American George Floyd — an unarmed black man — died in policecustody in Minneapolis.
Rutte said his attitude towards "Black Pete," known in the Netherlands as "Zwarte Piet," had changed since 2013. At the time, the prime minister had said: "Black Pete is just black and I
can't do much about that." Rutte said he now hopes that the traditionwill disappear in the Netherlands.
Read more at:
Dutch PM deems ′Black Pete′ tradition racist | News | DW | 05.06.2020
