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Upon Sinterklaas’ arrival in Westzaan, protesters against Zwarte Piet were pelted with eggs. Their assigned demonstration area was also smeared with manure and their view of the entrance was obscured by a fence with agricultural plastics.
At Westzaan Sinterklaas was not only accompanied by snowploughs, but also by Black Petes. A spokesman for Zaankanters against racism told the regional channel NH News who prefer not to demonstrate. “But it is necessary as the entry committee wants to gradually move away from Zwarte Piet and that is really not fast enough. When it comes to racism, you have to make the decision right away.”
‘It has to come from the community’
Joke Smit of the Sinterklaas Westzaan Committee told NH Nieuws that there has been a lot of support for guidance in the village from both types of helpers. “We think it should come from the community. We are a committee that doesn’t take a political stance on this. We listen to the people of the village, because we do it for the village.”
About thirty people took part in the demonstration against Zwarte Piet. There were a lot of police at the scene.
