Today I contacted Arie Slob, in writing, and informed him about our petition against the government subsidy of racist children's television. I also informed him that the European government are investigating this via a citizens petition number 0017/2018 (this is available for citizens of EU countries to sign). The majority of such petitions are declared inadmissible, which means that we are already being taken seriously. The Dutch government, however, have actively ignored and thwarted the attempts of anti-racism activists to be heard about this issue, that is, the Dutch government do NOT take this issue seriously. Prime minister Mark Rutte went so far as to make an advertisement for his political party claiming that celebrating this tradition is not racist. When asked during the Nuclear Security Summit about the blackface caricature; Rutte admitted unashamedly that he had personally taken part in blackfacing. That's why the letter informing Arie Slob of the petitions of was short and to the point. In the last few years, the Children's Ombudsman, the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights, and the United Nations have all condemned this specific form of discrimination. The government can't plead ignorance to the fact that they subsidise this discrimination in various ways. For example the government request that police wear blackface as part of their work. And many volunteers who dress in blackface have free liability insurance during their blackface activity, paid for by the government (it's called the VNG vrijwilligersverzekering.). The European Parliament are also investigating a petition about the Dutch police wearing blackface (petition number 0022/2018). Amnesty international have also complained about anti-racism activists being wrongly arrested by police (this effectively blocks the protestors right to peaceful protest against discrimination.) In the Netherlands, it's easier to find work if your white with a criminal record for violence, than if you're black and without a criminal record. Everything that contributes to racist stereotyping in society prevents people being seen as individuals in their own right, and being treated fairly. It's wrong that that Dutch government actively subsidises this inequity.