Kick Out Zwarte Piet

Last updated

Activists at a KOZP protest in The Hague in 2019. The sign in the foreground reads: Alleen een andere Piet en vrijheid van meningsuiting . (in English: "Only another Pete and freedom of speech".) Kozp protest in The Hague 2019.jpg
Activists at a KOZP protest in The Hague in 2019. The sign in the foreground reads: Alleen een andere Piet en vrijheid van meningsuiting. (in English: "Only another Pete and freedom of speech".)

Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP) is a Dutch organization that campaigns against the Zwarte Piet character (IPA: [ˈzʋɑrtəˈpit] , in English: Black Pete, or Black Peter) in the culture of the Low Countries. Zwarte Piet is traditionally part of the annual Christian feast of Sinterklaasavond (in English: "St. Nicholas' Eve") in the Netherlands, Belgium, some territories of the former Dutch Empire and the Dutch diaspora [1] on the evening of 5 December in the Netherlands and 6 December in Belgium. Saint Nicholas Day is also celebrated in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Central Europe and the Middle East. In the folklore of the Low Countries, Zwarte Piet is portrayed as the dark-skinned Spanish Moor companion to Sinterklaas. [2]

Contents

Zwarte Piet is a controversial part of Dutch culture in part due to the perceived likeness to the now-disgraced blackface tradition in the United States. [3] Because of this, efforts are made by KOZP and some members of the Dutch public in the form of meetings, threats and protests to abolish Zwarte Piet from Sinterklaasavond, often met by opposition from traditionalists who generally argue that Zwarte Piet represents Dutch tradition and not racism.

Objective

Kick Out Zwarte Piet argue that Zwarte Piet glorifies the history of Dutch colonialism and slavery. [4] The action group advocates a Sinterklaas event featuring only Roetpieten[ citation needed ] (in English: "Sooty Petes") or other solutions where possible references to racial characteristics do not play a role. According to KOZP, roles played by Roetpiet would support the celebration of Sinterklaas and no longer refer to a discriminating stereotypical appearance or behavior of dark-skinned people. [5]

History

KOZP was founded in 2014 via the campaign "Zwarte Piet is Racisme" (an initiative of the Nederland Wordt Beter foundation), "Stop Blackface" and "Zwarte Piet Niet". [6] Zwarte Piet is Racisme was a 2012 art project by poet, artist and activist Quinsy Gario and poet and activist Jerry Afriyie. Gario has not been involved in the campaign since. [7] [8] Afriyie is the foreman of KOZP. He stated that he loved Sinterklaas and the processions as a child. [9]

KOZP first appeared just before the arrival of Sinterklaas in Meppel in 2015.[ citation needed ]

Some anti-Zwarte Piet activists stated that KOZP are too soft. They believe that change is too slow and emphasize more and harder actions. [10]

On 11 November 2019, KOZP accused police of failing to protect its members' safety after four people were arrested for violently breaking up a meeting. [11]

On 20 June 2020, Jerry Afriyie and members of his family were the recipients of a death threat letter signed "PEGIDA AFD. NOORD" (in English: Pegida Division North), however Pegida Netherlands (the Dutch branch of the German far-right, anti-Islam movement Pegida) have distanced themselves from the letter. An Amsterdam police spokesperson stated that they are aware of the threat, that they have been in contact with Afriyie and that he has filed a complaint. Amsterdam police have begun investigating who the sender is and stated that they take the matter very seriously. [12]

Threat assessment controversy

According to an article by Robert Toret in the Dutch regional newspaper Leidsch Dagblad, Jerry Afriyie stated at a 2016 KOZP meeting in Leiden that there are several strategies: "De één gaat zingen op de Dam, de ander gaat met een knuppel naar een intocht. Ik vind dat ze allebei de ruimte moeten krijgen." (in English: "One goes singing at the Dam, the other goes to a procession with a bat. I think that they should both be given space." [13] ) However, this statement was denied by Jerry Afriyie. [14]

In 2017, KOZP was listed as an "extreme left-wing anti-racist action group" under the heading "Extremisme" in the "Dreigingsbeeld Terrorisme Nederland" (DTN) (in English: Terrorist Threat Assessment Netherlands), which is being prepared by the security services. [15] National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism Dick Schoof emphasized that the group had not used violence. Schoof did not rule out the possibility that the movement was potentially extremist and violent. [16] Following a complaint from KOZP, as of 2019 the group would be labeled as an activist organization that strives to achieve its goals within the limits of the law and not as a left-wing extremist or terrorist organization. [15] KOZP was no longer included in later versions of the DTN [17] but the Zwarte Piet discussion is generally mentioned under the heading "Polarisatie" (in English: polarization), with the blockade on the A7 motorway being mentioned in 2018.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackface</span> Theatrical makeup caricaturing Black people

Blackface is the practice of performers, typically non-black performers, using burnt cork or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinterklaas</span> Legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas

Sinterklaas or Sint-Nicolaas is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other Dutch names for the figure include De Sint, De Goede Sint and De Goedheiligman. Many descendants and cognates of "Sinterklaas" or "Saint Nicholas" in other languages are also used in the Low Countries, nearby regions, and former Dutch colonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Companions of Saint Nicholas</span> Folkloric figures who accompany the gift-bringer

The companions of Saint Nicholas are a group of closely related figures who accompany Saint Nicholas throughout the territories formerly in the Holy Roman Empire or the countries that it influenced culturally. These characters act as a foil to the benevolent Christmas gift-bringer, threatening to thrash or abduct disobedient children. Jacob Grimm associated this character with the pre-Christian house spirit which could be benevolent or malicious, but whose mischievous side was emphasized after Christianization. The association of the Christmas gift-bringer with elves has parallels in English and Scandinavian folklore, and is ultimately and remotely connected to the Christmas elf in modern American folklore.

<i>De Club van Sinterklaas</i> Dutch childrens television series

De Club van Sinterklaas was a Dutch seasonal children's telenovella between 1999 and 2009 based on the legend of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet. Since 2010, De club van Sinterklaas continues as a YouTube channel and a film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zwarte Piet</span> Saint Nicholas companion in Low Countries folklore

Zwarte Piet, also known in English by the translated name Black Pete, is the companion of Saint Nicholas in the folklore of the Low Countries. Traditionally, Zwarte Piet serves as an assistant to the saint and distributes sweets and gifts to well-behaved children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinsy Gario</span> Curaçaoan activist and artist (born 1984)

Quinsy Gario is a Curaçaoan activist and artist. He is a prominent opponent of the Dutch tradition of Zwarte Piet. Gario was born in Curaçao and raised in St Maarten before moving to the Netherlands. He created the project Zwarte Piet is Racisme about Zwarte Piet. In 2011 he was arrested for public disturbance at the traditional annual Sinterklaas festival where he was protesting against the use of Zwarte Piet. He appeared on a national television talk show in 2013 "to make his case" which was part of a series of events in October that The Economist says "polaris[ed] cultural life and dragging in celebrities, politicians, and even the UN" and "changed Zwarte Piet". For many, even if a year ago he was not a symbol of Dutch racism, he is now."

<i>Portrait of an African Man</i> Painting by Jan Mostaert

The Portrait of an African Man also known as Portrait of a Moor is a painting by the Dutch Renaissance painter Jan Mostaert. Mostaert probably made the painting between c. 1525 and 1530, or slightly earlier. The exact subject of the painting has long been unclear, although numerous ideas have been put forward, including that the depicted figure is a soldier, a nobleman or Saint Maurice. The portrait is significant in that it may portray the earliest surviving portrait of a specific black man in European painting, though Saint Maurice, and Balthazar of the Three Kings or Biblical Magi, had long been usually portrayed as Africans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astrid Roemer</span> Surinamese-Dutch writer and teacher (born 1947)

Astrid Heligonda Roemer is a Surinamese-Dutch writer and teacher. The Dutch-language author has published novels, drama and poetry, and in December 2015 was announced as the winner of the P. C. Hooft Award, considered the most important literary prize in the Netherlands and Belgium, which was presented in May 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria Wekker</span> Dutch educator and writer

Gloria Daisy Wekker is an Afro-Surinamese Dutch emeritus professor and writer who has focused on gender studies and sexuality in the Afro-Caribbean region and diaspora. She was the winner of the Ruth Benedict Prize from the American Anthropological Association in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvana Simons</span> Dutch politician and television presenter

Silvana Hildegard "Sylvana" Simons is a Surinamese-born Dutch politician and former television presenter. She has served as a member of the House of Representatives since 2021 on behalf of BIJ1, an egalitarian anti-racist party founded by Simons in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BIJ1</span> Dutch political party

BIJ1, formerly known as Article 1, is a political party in the Netherlands. It was founded in Amsterdam in 2016 by Sylvana Simons, a television personality who was formerly connected to another party, Denk. Edson Olf has led the party since September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denk (political party)</span> Dutch political party

Denk is a political party in the Netherlands, founded on a minority rights platform. It is legally registered as "Politieke Beweging Denk".

Verene Albertha Shepherd is a Jamaican academic who is a professor of social history at the University of the West Indies in Mona. She is the director of the university's Institute for Gender and Development Studies, and specialises in Jamaican social history and diaspora studies.

Stuff Dutch People Like is an English-language website and Facebook page about Dutch culture. The website describes in a humorous way typical Dutch customs, traditions and habits, seen from the eyes of a foreigner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Zadoks</span> Dutch botanist

Jan Carel Zadoks is a Dutch botanist and a professor emeritus of ecological plant pathology at Wageningen University & Research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anet Bleich</span>

Anet Bleich is a Dutch journalist, political commentator, author, columnist and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grote Broek</span> Self-managed political project in Nijmegen, the Netherlands

De Grote Broek is a legalised squat and self-managed social centre in central Nijmegen in the Netherlands. It was occupied in 1984 and legalised from 2002 onwards. It spans two sides of a city block and has entrances on both Van Broeckhuysenstraat and Tweede Walstraat. The project consists of two separate housing co-operatives living above a cafe on one side and Extrapool and a music venue on the other. Groups with shared political objectives are hosted at the centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in the Netherlands</span> 2020 protests in the Netherlands against police brutality

Shortly after protests seeking justice for the murder of George Floyd, an African-American who was killed during a police arrest, began in the United States, people in the Netherlands protested to show solidarity with Americans and to demonstrate against issues with police or racism. Vigils and protests of up to thousands of participants took place nationwide.

Queeny-Aimée Magdalena Rajkowski is a Dutch politician, who has served as a member of the House of Representatives since the 2021 general election. There, she represents the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). She was also on the Utrecht municipal council in the years 2014–21.

Belfius Basecamp is a football training facility in Westkapelle, Belgium. It serves as the training ground of Club Brugge KV and also accommodates Club NXT (U19-U23) and Club YLA. It is also the operational headquarters of the club, housing around 120 employees.

References

  1. ↑ "Blackface in London: What do Dutch expats think of Zwarte Piet?". Liberating Identities. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  2. ↑ Bruce, David (2007). Christmas: A Candid History. University of California Press.
  3. ↑ "Zwarte Piet: Black Pete is 'Dutch racism in full display'". Al Jazeera. 27 November 2019.
  4. ↑ "Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP)". Nederland wordt beter. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  5. ↑ Kasper van Laarhoven (15 November 2018). "Leider Kick Out Zwarte Piet: 'Dit is pesten en dat moet stoppen'". NRC Handelsblad . Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP)". Nederland wordt beter. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  7. ↑ "Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP)". Nederland wordt beter. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  8. ↑ 'Geen mening hebben over zwarte Piet is niet meer mogelijk', OneWorld, 6 December 2019
  9. ↑ Marcel Wiegman (10 November 2018). "Jerry Afriyie: 'Strijden doe je niet met een lach'". Het Parool . Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  10. ↑ Julien Althuisius (30 November 2018). "Een paar dagen op pad met Jerry Afriyie, de voorman van Kick Out Zwarte Piet". De Volkskrant . Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Zwarte Piet protest group accuses police of failing to protect safety". DutchNews. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Kick Out Zwarte Piet-voorman Jerry Afriyie en gezin bedreigd in brief". Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS). 20 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  13. ↑ Robert, Toret (10 October 2016). "'Kom allemaal naar Leiden'". Archived from the original on 31 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Hassan Bahara en Nadia Ezzeroili (15 November 2019). "Zo werd het pro-Zwarte Piet-protest steeds gewelddadiger". De Volkskrant . Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  15. 1 2 "KOZP in DTN 46" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "Terreurbestrijder: 'We maken ons zorgen om Kick Out Zwarte Piet'". WNL. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  17. ↑ "NCTV: Kick Out Zwarte Piet geen extremistische organisatie". NRC Handelsblad. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.