Commotion around Sven Gatz as 'Zwarte Piet'

Flemish culture minister Sven Gatz celebrated Saint Nicholas Day at the weekend by dressing up as Zwarte Piet (Black Pete, the Saint's controversial companion). The Minorities Forum responded with anger, calling the minister's costume “tasteless”, writes brusselnieuws.be.

The priest of Jette had asked Minister Gatz if he wanted to help the Saint by dressing up as Zwarte Piet following the weekly mass. Gatz not only agreed, but he went all out, painting his face completely black and his lips red, and donning a wig with frizzy hair. The resulting selfie was met with a blaze of angry reactions on social media, by people who find Gatz's behaviour unacceptable, especially for a culture minister.

Dressing up as Zwarte Piet has been a sore point for several years now in Belgium and the Netherlands, inciting discussions about whether the tradition is inherently racist because it dates back to the colonial era.

"Engaged against racism all my (political) life. And now I'm an ordinary racist because I coloured my face dark. Come on," Gatz replied via Twitter.