Wormerveer station daubed: Zaankanters Against Racism campaigns against soot wipes

Anyone standing at Wormerveer station today cannot ignore it. The text ‘Zwarte Piet is Racisme’ is written all over the ground. The group Zaankanters Against Racism is campaigning against the soot wipes the week before the arrivals in the Zaan region. In the eyes of the organization it is still too often a racist caricature. According to the organization, it is the start of a busy week of action.

The organization leaves information about the texts in Wormerveer that were applied last night social media We know the following: “The committee in Wormerveer says it has switched to sooty Piet, however, those Pieten wear far too much make-up and an afro wig. That is not sooty Piet, that is racism. We would like to talk to them to advise on how a good soot wiper looks like.”

Next week it will be busy for the group, thinks a spokesperson for Zaankanters against Racism. The activists will talk to the Sinterklaas committee in Westzaan. If the Sinterklaas organization does not adapt as the activists would like to see, they will demonstrate during the entry on November 12.

Gradually change

Joke Smit of the arrival in Westzaan does not want to say too much about it: “Everything I say can only throw more oil on the fire.” According to her, this means that they will not adapt. The Petes can choose what they look like. Brown, sooty or with lights in their hair. “We think it should come from the community.” She thinks it’s crazy that an action group imposes what the Piets should look like. According to her, it should go gradually: “Four years ago with the national entry, everyone was still brown, two more years and then all Piets will be painted with soot.”

But the anti-racism organization is not going fast enough. According to them, committees are not really changing. “The racism continues. They can’t get away with that.”

Entry into the Castle canceled

Zaankanters Against Racism had announced that they also wanted to demonstrate on November 19 at the Burcht in Zaandam. The entry is cancelled, but there is a party reported Rodic. René de Reus of the Sinterklaas Committee Zaandam-Zuid had previously announced that the Piets will no longer be completely brown this year. He says he has been threatened by the newspaper.

The municipality of Zaanstad announces that the demonstrations have been registered and is looking at how they can facilitate them as best as possible.

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