{"id":81700,"date":"2017-11-17T15:21:30","date_gmt":"2017-11-17T14:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=81700"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:53","slug":"zwarte-piet-verdwijnt-langzaam-bij-rotterdamse-sinterklaasintocht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2017\/11\/17\/zwarte-piet-verdwijnt-langzaam-bij-rotterdamse-sinterklaasintocht\/","title":{"rendered":"Zwarte Piet slowly phased out of Sinterklaas parade in Rotterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After the\u00a0disaster of last year\u2019s parade in Rotterdam, when a number of protesters were arrested during the festivities, this year, the Municipality asked SNIC to meet with members of Platform Rutu, the organisation representing Rotterdam\u2019s Afro-communities.<\/p>\n

In consultation with this platform, the committee decided that in three years\u2019 time, at least 90% of Sinterklaas\u2019s companions will be so-called \u2018roetpieten\u2019 (with soot on their faces). This year\u2019s ratio of \u2018roetpieten\u2019 and \u2018Zwarte Pieten\u2019 will be 50-50.<\/p>\n

Criticism<\/h3>

\u201cOf course, this decision met with a lot of criticism,\u201d says SNIC member Laurence Bixner. \u201cYou can find a ton of angry responses to the press release on Facebook. But that was to be expected. Unfortunately, you can\u2019t please everyone all the time.\u201d To ease the pain for die-hard fans of the traditional version, the number of \u2018Zwarte Pieten\u2019 will be reduced a bit further every year, leaving some 10 percent made up in black greasepaint in three years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

Eye-opener<\/h3>

The consultations with Platform Rutu were an eye-opener for the three students. They became aware of how painful the period around 5 December can be every year for many members of the Afro-communities. \u201cIt was the first time we actually heard these personal stories first-hand. A children\u2019s feast shouldn\u2019t make people feel subjected to racism,\u201d says Bixner.<\/p>\n

The RSC member expects that this year\u2019s entry parade will be \u2018just as nice\u2019 as previous editions. \u201cI don\u2019t expect any demonstrations this time round, and I hope that this year we can once again enjoy a peaceful parade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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