21/10/2023
Protesters confronted the Dutch royal family during their official visit to a slavery museum in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday. Security personnel were observed managing the crowd, attempting to hold back the protesters who fervently chanted calls for reparations as the royal couple exited the museum premises. Some of the protesters, notably including First Nations individuals clad in traditional attire, engaged in heated exchanges with the police.
The demonstrators expressed their grievances through impassioned chants, such as "You are killing our culture," "Respect us," and "We want compensation." The historical backdrop to this protest is rooted in the Netherlands' colonization of South Africa in the 17th century, which gave rise to a legacy marked by Dutch and British exploitation culminating in the apartheid system.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte delivered a formal apology for the slave trade in the Netherlands during a speech last year. In July, Willem-Alexander apologized on behalf of the Netherlands for the centuries-long enslavement of people in Dutch colonies. As a former colonial power, the Netherlands played a role in the enslavement of over 600,000 people during the 17th and 18th centuries.