Dutch anti-racism activists are calling for protests ahead of a traditional celebration marking the arrival of Sinterklaas and his contentious black-faced helpers.

The call came ahead of Saturday’s parade to enact the arrival of the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas in the run-up to Christmas.

Traditionally, Sinterklaas is accompanied by his helpers, Zwarte Piets, or Black Peters, which sees white people appear in blackface, with red painted lips and wearing frizzy black wigs.

Leading the calls to protest is the Kick out Zwarte Piet group, which says the character is racist, a symbol of slavery and embodies discrimination against people of colour.

Reports say the Black Peter tradition has become increasingly contentious in recent years.

Ahead of this year’s Sinterklaas parade, numerous libraries removed children’s books containing references to the character, a move that prompted protest from some quarters.

“Everywhere there is a growing understanding that Zwarte Piet is a clichéd image of a certain section of the population,’’ Anton Kok, the director of the Association of Public Libraries (VOB), told Dutch newspaper Het Parool.

Proponents of the Black Peter tradition say the criticism is an attack on Dutch customs, though this view appears to be on the wane.

In a recent survey by for Dutch broadcaster NPO 1, 55 per cent said they wanted to keep the character of Black Peter, down from 71 per cent the year before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAN