We have this Dutch tradition called Sinterklaas which is basically our version of Santa Claus. Traditionally he is accompanied by Black Pete, a black person who is usually played by a white person in blackface. He looks like this:

Needless to say that a white man controlling a group of black people who resemble slaves is controversial. In the last 10 years protests against black pete have really increased and as a result the vast majority of the country has banned Black Pete. They are now subsituted by Soot Face Pete as one of the origins of Black Pete is that he climbs through the chimney, hence the black face. Why the bright right lips, gold earrings and total black face were a part of it, is never answered of course.

Childrens party saved, right? No. A handful of racists keeps haning on to Black Pete and some towns in The Netherlands (and Belgium) keep Black Pete during the parade of Sinterklaas. Action groups keep protesting Black Pete at parades and in recent years these protests have turned violent with mobs of racists attacking the protesters.

This was the case yesterday in Yerseke, The Netherlands where protesters were intimidated, attacked, targeted with eggs and whatnot. Police did very little to stop the ‘concerned’ mob of racists.

Bonus thing: some of the racist mob threw the sieg heil hand gesture but, in contrast with events in Amsterdam, no politican yet has cried antisemitism.