‘Eindhoven Kan Het’ (Eindhoven can do it), the anti-racism group that previously campaigned for the abolition of Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), is speaking out against four political parties that are active in the city. The arrows are pointed at Forum voor Democratie (forum for democray, FvD), LPF (list Pim Fortuyn), VVD (people’s party for freedom and democracy) and CDA (christian democrats).
The fact that ‘Eindhoven Kan Het’ speaks out against FvD and LPF is hardly surprising. Both parties are distinctly pro-Black Piet. In addition, FvD was repeatedly in the news for spreading conspiracy theories and open racism and anti-semitism within its youth party. Eindhoven Kan Het criticises LPF for, among other things, the “hefty dose of Islamophobia” that the party allegedly uses.
Statements
It is even more remarkable that the group also accuses VVD and CDA of racism. CDA is blamed by the group for the fact that the former parliamentary party chair in Eindhoven, Linda Hofman, is alleged to have said “Schup ze!” (“kick ’em!”) on the anti-Zwarte Piet demonstration in 2018. CDA and VVD are also blamed for the parties’ inclusion of FvD in the Brabant provincial executive in 2020.
Little surprise
Furthermore, Eindhoven Kan Het cites the fact that VVD member Mark Rutte, as State Secretary in 2007, was convicted of inciting racial discrimination. Therefore, the ‘toeslag affaire’ (surcharge scandal) – in which the ethnicity of the victims played a role – comes as little surprise, the group says. “Many victims live in Eindhoven, including one person for whom the despair of this injustice became so unbearable that he killed himself. Despite that, few political parties here pay any attention to it at all in their party programme”.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
