Police stops Surinamese-Dutch rapper for driving while black

This December 2015 Dutch music video is the song Niet Weglopen, by well-known Surinamese-Dutch rapper Typhoon.

The [political party] PvdA has asked parliamentary questions in response to the police stopping rapper Typhoon. Police in Zwolle stopped Glenn de Randamie, as the rapper is called, from driving because a cop thought there was no match between him and his new car.

According to a police spokesman in the eastern Netherlands Typhoon was stopped because of his “young age and his brand new luxury car. But his skin colour played a role as well.” Police have apologized for the incident.

Labour leader Samsom says that there is a structural problem. “Ethnic profiling happens, also by police. This is not a single miss by an individual police officer. Racism and discrimination are persistent deep within society.”

Translated from Dutch daily De Volkskrant today:

“This is a big error in Dutch society,” De Randamie writes on Instagram. “The investigating officer … admitted that he was biased, and took into account that it could be drug money. Unfortunately, this is the umpteenth time this happens to me and I happen to be ‘famous’ and the atmosphere is less tense after recognition. Many people do not have that privilege.”