Quinsy Gario
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Quinsy Gario | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gario while visiting Ràdio Web MACBA, June 2014 | |
| Born | 1984 (age 41–42) |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Opposition against Zwarte Piet |
Quinsy Gario (born 1984) is a Curaçaoan activist and artist. He is a prominent opponent of the Dutch tradition of Zwarte Piet. Gario was born in Curaçao and raised in St Maarten before moving to the Netherlands.[1][2] He created the project Zwarte Piet is Racisme (Black Pete is Racism) about Zwarte Piet.[3] In 2011 he was arrested for public disturbance at the traditional annual Sinterklaas festival where he was protesting against the use of Zwarte Piet.[4][5] He appeared on a national television talk show in 2013 "to make his case" which was part of a series of events in October that The Economist says "polaris[ed] cultural life and dragging in celebrities, politicians, and even the UN" and "changed Zwarte Piet". For many, even if a year ago he was not a symbol of Dutch racism, he is now."[6]
For the 2021 Dutch general election, it was announced Gario would stand as a candidate for the BIJ1 party on second place on the party list after Sylvana Simons.[7] However, only Simons was elected to the House of Representatives.[8] In July 2021, Gario was suspended from BIJ1 after being accused of "manipulative, disrespectful and toxic behavior" by the party executive board in what was described as part of a series of internal issues within the party. Gario later quit BIJ1.[9][10]
His brother, Jörgen Gario, is also an artist.[11]