30 mei,1969 (gritu di un pueblo)

30 May 1969 was an important day in the history of the Antillean island ofCura‡ao. A large group of black labourers marched through the streets of the capitalWillemstad. The police tried to maintain order but they were powerless. Then theyopened fire on the demonstrators. Two people were killed and hundreds werewounded. The Dutch government sent troops, which caused great political commotion.Born in the Netherlands Antilles himself, filmmaker John Leerdam examines in may30, 1969 which feelings underlay these events. Was it just the deplorable workingconditions or was it the long-standing racial inequality that had spurred the labourerson to action? Leerdam presents a survey of the colonial history of the island, interspersed with interviews about that particular day. All this is embedded in images ofpresent-day Cura‡ao, where violence and unemployment still lead to unrest.