Dutch police arrest around 200 protesters against controversial "Black Pete"

During the arrival of Dutch traditional "Sinterklaas," the Dutch police arrested around 200 protesters, opponents of the controversial figure "Zwarte Piet" ("Black Pete") in Rotterdam on Saturday.

The anti-Black Pete protesters were arrested for ignoring the Rotterdam ban on demonstrations for this day.

Their original plan to demonstrate during the official arrival of Sinterklaas in Maasssluis, in the province of South Holland, failed, because their bus was stopped by the police.

Sinterklaas is annually celebrated in the Netherlands with the giving of gifts on December 5. Sinterklaas himself, a traditional figure based on Saint Nicholas, is a white man with a long white beard, but his servants, the "Black Petes" are traditionally portrayed in blackface and wigs of curly black hair.

For decades, the celebration of Sinterklaas has been surrounded by a discussion about whether Black Pete is racist and in recent years this discussion became more fierce. Opponents think Black Pete is a racist figure and proponents think Black Pete is part of Dutch culture.

This has already led to several changes in the appearance of Petes, with the entrance of white and colored ones, and a ban on Black Petes in some places.

Every year in mid-November, Sinterklaas arrives by boat from Spain, according to the story Dutch children believe in, in a different Dutch city and this time is was Maassluis. It was already made known that the Petes in Maassluis would mostly be black or dark brown.

Hundreds of police officers, dozens of riot vans, a police helicopter and hundreds of volunteers were present in Maassluis to guarantee the security of the 20,000 spectators.

All attendees had to go through extra security checks to watch Sinterklaas entering the city. In Maassluis no major incidents occurred.

The opponents of Black Pete, united in the group "Kick Out Zwarte Piet", had also announced to demonstrate during the traditional arrival, but because they had not made an official application for this, they were not allowed to and their bus was stopped by the police and never reached Maassluis.

The anti-Black Pete protesters then decided to protest in Rotterdam, at the arrival of "Sinterklaas" near the Erasmus bridge. Endit