A report was made against Johan Derksen in Leeuwarden. ‘But a conversation would be much better’

She found it a bit uncomfortable. As she walked onto the grounds of the police station on Holstmeerweg in Leeuwarden, the ANP photographer’s camera kept clicking.

Isn’t this attention a bit exaggerated? “National media also asked me if I would like to say something about it. But I wouldn’t know what. Everything that has been said about it has already been said.”

Unique

Yet the complaint is against regular table guest Johan Derksen of the television program Today Inside , unique. “I cannot remember that the Frisian branch of the Discrimination Reporting Center ever filed a report itself.”

The reason is simple. “Usually there is also a victim to report the crime. Think of Geert Wilders’ less-less statement. At that time there were even a lot of people who wanted to report it.”

But MP Habtamu de Hoop, who had been labeled as non-Frisian by Derksen because of his skin color, did not want to do it himself. “And then we thought: then we have to get up.”

Article 266

In the statement, Tûmba writes that Derksen contributes ‘to the stereotyping that a black person cannot be Frisian’. In other words: discrimination on the basis of race according to ‘Article 266 of the Criminal Code and 429quater of the Criminal Code.’ from criminal law.

Initially, the question was whether the report should not be directed against media company Talpa. “But they came a day later with the statement that Today Inside was not prepared in advance.”

The company behind it Today Inside So cleverly removed his hands with that statement and that made a successful declaration difficult. “It might also limit press freedom somewhere.”

Letter to Talpa

Antolovic does not expect a quick follow-up to Tuesday morning’s report. “I don’t think we will hear anything before the summer. My experience is that this can take months.”

And perhaps she doesn’t think that is the most important thing: “Reporting is just a means to make someone realize that it is not possible. A conversation would be much better and more sustainable.”

Last week, Tûmba sent a letter to Talpa to discuss the moral responsibility of the television program. “I hope they accept the invitation. But I don’t expect it.”

Stereotyping

Rather than reporting the crime, Antolovic would have seen that Derksen had withdrawn his statement against Habtamu de Hoop himself, or had placed it in a broader context.

“He could also have been honest by saying: ‘When I think of a Frisian, I think of someone with blonde hair and blue eyes. I can’t help it, but that’s how it works’.”

Take a look at ourselves. “That would have helped us explain how stereotyping and exclusion works. I had hoped he would explain that. But he persisted.”

The announced declaration by Jongfryske Mienskip will take some time. The Frisian movement does intend to continue this, but will first wait for Tûmba’s precise statement and then draw up its own statement – ​​in Frisian.