Netherlands Protest Black Pete: Citizens Say Traditional Christmas Figure in Blackface is Blatantly Racist

When Dutch Santa Claus landed in the Netherlands on Saturday, some citizens rallied to protest a long-loved tradition that some now find to be racist-Black Pete, a servant in blackface.

Those who demonstrated against the Petes - St. Nicholas' clown-like domestic who hands out cookies and chocolate to kids-argued that their huge Afro wigs, blackface makeup and red lipstick were inherently racist. They also insisted that the figures be banned from traditional lore.

But others in the country have said that Black Pete is not a racially charged caricature, rather, he represents good tidings and fun. They also claimed that the protest was simply a product over-the-top political correctness, the Associated Press reported.

"The world is watching, and the Netherlands has been found wanting," Pete protestor Quinsy Gario told the group of around 300 fellow demonstrators gathered in the area. The large majority of them were black, according to AP.

Gario, an artist who has spearheaded the anti-Pete movement, said he's received death threats from people who disapprove of his speaking out against the tradition.

He told the press that the public has realized the racially-charged undertones associated with Black Pete should be addressed and changed. He reportedly wore a "Black Pete is Racism" t-shirt two years ago, and was subsequently thrown on the ground by police, then dragged away from the area where Sinterklaas was scheduled to appear.

Head of the U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent Verene Shepherd appeared on a Dutch TV show for an interview in which she stated she "[did] not understand why it is that people in the Netherlands cannot see that this is a throwback to slavery, and that in the 21st century this practice should stop."

Activists against Black Pete have proposed that his black face be replaced with smudges, since stories indicate that Pete's face is blackened by soot when he goes down chimneys.

Amsterdam resident Riet Nauta hung her head in shock as she listened to the anti-Pete speeches. She told the Associated Press that she did see why Pete might seem like a racist figure, but that people were blowing things out of proportion.

"They can always find something," she stated. "Please, it's a celebration for children and that's the way we should see it."