Sixty arrested in anti-Piet protests as Sinterklaas arrives in Gouda

Dutch News.nl, and other news sources, reported that sixty people were arrested in Gouda on the 15 November 2014 after clashes between pro and anti Zwarte Piet demonstrators at the welcoming ceremony for Sinterklaas.

Following on from protests in 2013, some people in the Netherlands see Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) as a racial stereotype, but others argue the tradition is not linked to race.

ESO: Background information: UN's Zwarte Piet critic is an 'unpaid volunteer' says Belgian paper / Amsterdam mayor was right to licence Sinterklaas parade: highest Dutch court http://www.europeansources.info/record/uns-zwarte-piet-critic-is-an-unpaid-volunteer-says-belgian-paper-amsterdam-mayor-was-right-to-licence-sinterklaas-parade-highest-dutch-court/

BBC News, 15.11.14: Clashes at Dutch Black Pete protest in Gouda http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30069240

Wikipedia: Zwarte Piet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

DutchNews.nl, 19.08.15: The Netherlands promises UN an acceptable Zwarte Piet http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2015/08/the-netherlands-promises-un-an-acceptable-zwarte-piet/

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