The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, this Saturday apologized and apologized for his country’s past in terms of slavery, in a historic speech received to applause and shouts, during an act to commemorate the anniversary of the abolition of slavery. slavery.
The King’s speech followed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s apology late last year for the country’s history of the slave trade (slavery) and slavery (slave status and economic and social system based on that condition).
These positions are part of a broader recognition of colonial histories in the West, promoted in recent years by the Black Lives Matter movement.
In an emotional speech before a crowd of guests and spectators, Willem-Alexander declared: “Today I stand before you. Today, as your King and as a member of the Government, I apologize and feel the weight of the words in my heart and soul. ” .
The monarch said he had commissioned a study into the exact role of the Royal House of Orange-Nassau in slavery carried out by the Netherlands.
“But today, on this memorial day, I apologize for the clear lack of action against this crime against humanity,” he stressed.
According to the Associated Press agency, Willem-Alexander’s voice showed a lot of emotion as he completed his speech, before laying a wreath at the national monument dedicated to slavery in the country, in an Amsterdam park.
When asked about the monarch’s speech, former MP John Leerdam told Dutch radio NOS that he felt tears running down his face when the king apologised.
“It is a historic moment and we have to realize it and recognize it,” he said.
Slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean colonies on July 1, 1863, but most enslaved workers were forced to continue working on plantations for another 10 years.
Today’s ceremony and the King’s speech mark the beginning of a year of events to mark the 150th anniversary of July 1, 1873.
Research published last month showed that the king’s ancestors earned the current equivalent of 545 million euros from slavery, including proceeds from shares given to them as gifts.
When Prime Minister Mark Ruth apologized for slavery last December, he announced that he would offer monetary compensation to the descendants of enslaved people.
Instead, the government established a €200 million fund for initiatives to combat the legacy of slavery in the Netherlands and its former colonies and to improve education and information on the subject.
However, two Dutch groups, Black Manifesto and Black Archives, already considered that the Government’s initiative was not enough and organized a protest march before the King’s speech, using as a ‘slogan’ that “There is no cure without reparations”.
Source: TSF
