Monthly Archives: February 2018

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague and Holocaust

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The Czech Jewish community called for Tomio Nakamura to excuse himself for his comments on the Roma Holocaust and on Lety. The young Social Democrats, on the other hand, are suing Miloslav Rozner, a MP from Nakamura’s party for similar reason as he denied the Roma Holocaust.
Shame.

– Young Social Democrats suing MP over Roma Holocaust denial. In: The Prague Monitor. 06.02.2018. http://praguemonitor.com/2018/02/06/young-social-democrats-suing-mp-over-roma-holocaust-denial
– Prague Jewish Community wants SPD to apologise for words on Lety. In The Prague Daily Monitor. 06.02.2018. http://www.praguemonitor.com/2018/02/06/prague-jewish-community-wants-spd-apologise-words-lety [link-preview url=”http://praguemonitor.com/2018/02/06/young-social-democrats-suing-mp-over-roma-holocaust-denial “]

France News Western Europe

Paris: Exhibition

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A new exhibition in Paris, entitled “Mondes Tsiganes” purportedly tells the story of the “Nomads”, be they Sinti, Manouches, or Roma (Sic.).
Well, it pushes a view full of stereotypes which is historically totally inaccurate.
Shame.

– MONDES TSIGANES, L’EXPOSITION AU MUSÉE NATIONAL DE L’HISTOIRE DE L’IMMIGRATION. In: Sortir à Paris. https://www.sortiraparis.com/arts-culture/exposition/articles/160879-mondes-tsiganes-l-exposition-au-musee-national-de-l-histoire-de-l-immigration [link-preview url=”https://www.sortiraparis.com/arts-culture/exposition/articles/160879-mondes-tsiganes-l-exposition-au-musee-national-de-l-histoire-de-l-immigration”]

Germany News Western Europe

Mismanagement

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The State of Schleswig Holstein Sinti and Roma Association is being pilloried for mismanagement: bills for more than 60’000 EUR are missing, the member of the association used cars for private purposes, etc.
This is better than expected as in the beginning, the organisation was de-facto accused to have used money for private purposes. This no longer seems to be the case.

– Sinti und Roma: Für 60.000 Euro fehlen Belege. In: NDR. 05.02.2018. https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Sinti-und-Roma-Fuer-60000-Euro-fehlen-Belege,sintiroma110.html [link-preview url=”https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Sinti-und-Roma-Fuer-60000-Euro-fehlen-Belege,sintiroma110.html”]

Germany News Western Europe

Plauen: Fire …

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Again the city of Plauen, which made it to the headlines in December after the firebombing of a house that lodged Roma. This time, a fire in a house that housed Roma on the ground floor and other people in the upper floors killed two residents. Several of the people in that building had already escaped the previous fire.

– FEUERDRAMA IM DACHGESCHOSS: HIER STARBEN ZWEI MENSCHEN UND SECHS HUNDE. In: Tag 24. 06.02.2018. https://www.tag24.de/nachrichten/plauen-vogtland-sachsen-brand-wohnungsbrand-feuer-zwei-tote-verletzte-hunde-flammen-inferno-440938 [link-preview url=”https://www.tag24.de/nachrichten/plauen-vogtland-sachsen-brand-wohnungsbrand-feuer-zwei-tote-verletzte-hunde-flammen-inferno-440938″]

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Dire Situation

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There are roughly 5’500 who live in the Roma settlement of Trebišov, in Eastern Slovakia. The settlement is seeing an epidemic of syphilis, fuelled by the rampant prostitution that is one of the few means of existence for the people there.
Prostitution starts as young as 14 or 15. Police is not doing much.
This is bad.

– Trebišov skryl prostitútky, deti vraj medzi nimi nie sú a syfilis sa týka iba Rómov. In: SME. 02.02.2018. https://domov.sme.sk/c/20750735/trebisov-skryl-prostitutky-deti-vraj-medzi-nimi-nie-su-a-syfilis-sa-tyka-iba-romov.html [link-preview url=”https://domov.sme.sk/c/20750735/trebisov-skryl-prostitutky-deti-vraj-medzi-nimi-nie-su-a-syfilis-sa-tyka-iba-romov.html”]

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Boarding Schools

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There is a real media frenzy lately in Slovakia regarding the so-called “Roma Crime” and many suggestions of populists “solutions” to this “problem”. One of them is again the idea of setting up boarding schools. They are presented as a mean to help Roma get a better education and at reducing crime (yes). Arguments against these schools are presented here by Abel Ravasz, the Roma plenipotentiary in Slovakia.
Unfortunately, this has already been tried under communism. And, as these boarding schools were 100% Roma, the level of education provided was really low. This will happen again here. It is simply an attempt at assimilation.

– Namiesto zombi riešení pre Rómov urobme to, čo funguje. In: Dennik. 02.02.2018. https://dennikn.sk/1017448/namiesto-zombi-rieseni-pre-romov-urobme-to-co-funguje/ [link-preview url=”https://dennikn.sk/1017448/namiesto-zombi-rieseni-pre-romov-urobme-to-co-funguje/”]

France News Western Europe

France: Reducing Ghettoes

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The French government intends to noticeably reduce the number of shanty towns in France in the coming five years.
REALLY? Does it take France FIVE years to find lodging for less than 20’000 People?

– Le gouvernement vise une ” réduction durable ” des bidonvilles ” dans les cinq ans à venir “. In: WEKA. 31.01.2018. https://www.weka.fr/actualite/lutte-contre-les-exclusions/article/le-gouvernement-vise-une-reduction-durable-des-bidonvilles-dans-les-cinq-ans-a-venir-61553/ [link-preview url=”https://www.weka.fr/actualite/lutte-contre-les-exclusions/article/le-gouvernement-vise-une-reduction-durable-des-bidonvilles-dans-les-cinq-ans-a-venir-61553/”]

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe Poland

Bulgaria – Poland

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Again a story that plays on the old stereotypes of Roma stealing children. A 3-year-old child who was missing in Poland was found in a Roma neighbourhood in Varna. According to the woman who kept it, the child’s mother had gone to Poland.

– The Missing Child from Poland was Found in the Roma Neighborhood of Varna. In: Novinite. 02.02.2018. http://www.novinite.com/articles/187562/The+Missing+Child+from+Poland+was+Found+in+the+Roma+Neighborhood+of+Varna [link-preview url=”http://www.novinite.com/articles/187562/The+Missing+Child+from+Poland+was+Found+in+the+Roma+Neighborhood+of+Varna”]

Bosnia News Eastern Europe

Bosnia: Roma Rights

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In spite of millions of Euros spent in Bosnia, Roma are still denied fundamental rights in Bosnia. Their situation has not improved in Bosnia, and they are still ostracised by all other Bosnians. This simply shows that nationalistic states are no place for minorities, and proves that Europe is simply looking, definitively not doing anything.

– BOSNIE-HERZÉGOVINE : MALGRÉ LES POLITIQUES SOCIALES, PAS D’AMÉLIORATION DES CONDITIONS DE VIE DES RROMS. In: Le Courrier des Balkans. 29.01.2018. https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Bosnie-Herzegovine-les-politiques-sociales-n-aident-pas-les-Roms [link-preview url=”https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Bosnie-Herzegovine-les-politiques-sociales-n-aident-pas-les-Roms”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Tomio Okamura

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The Czech MP and president of an extreme rightist party, Tomio Okamura, officially apologised for having been “imprecise” when he claimed that people could walk in or out of the Lety concentration camp, and then doubled up: He cirted Jan Rataj, a history professor who alleges that the Protectorate’s “Gypsy Camps” were not concentration camps…
Roma organisations have filed a crime report against Okamura. Let’s see if anything happens.

– Czech MP apologizes for “imprecision”, then urges people to read historian who calls the Romani Holocaust a “myth”. In: Romea. 04.02.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-mp-apologizes-for-imprecision-then-urges-people-to-read-historian-who-calls-the-romani-holocaust-a-myth
– Czech citizens file crime report over MP’s remarks denying the suffering of Romani genocide victims. In: Romea. 03.02.2018. http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-citizens-file-crime-report-over-mp-s-remarks-denying-the-suffering-of-romani-genocide-victims [link-preview url=”http://www.romea.cz/en/news/czech/czech-mp-apologizes-for-imprecision-then-urges-people-to-read-historian-who-calls-the-romani-holocaust-a-myth “]

France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Russia

Vigilantes …

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This week saw many articles in the French press on the case of an elderly man, called Youcef – of North African origins, whose house was squatted by some Roma. He had not been living in the house for many years in the town of Garches-les-Gonesses, near Paris and was surprised by the squat. A youngster called Bassem, from Lyon and also of North African origins organised the youth of this city and expelled the Roma themselves without the help of the police.
This fact made it to most papers, with mostly positive reactions, although some insist on the dangers of taking justice into one’s own hand. The youngsters of the city, insist that anyhow, the police never come there nor helps them, as they are mostly of North African origins.
This is a case of minorities against minorities. And is really bad. But is the result of the policies of the French state which neglected its “banlieues” and left the Roma in camps.

– Maison squattée à Garges-lès-Gonesse : “C’est grâce à la cité qu’il a récupéré sa maison !”. In: Le Parisien. 01.02.2018. http://www.leparisien.fr/val-d-oise-95/garges-les-gonesse-les-squatteurs-de-la-maison-deloges-par-des-jeunes-du-quartier-31-01-2018-7534278.php
– Qui est Bassem, le Lyonnais qui a provoqué l’expulsion des squatteurs du Val-d’Oise ? In: Le Parisien. 01.02.2018. http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/qui-est-bassem-le-lyonnais-qui-a-provoque-l-expulsion-des-squatteurs-du-val-d-oise-01-02-2018-7535772.php
– Garges-lès-Gonesse : “Face à la désertion de l’État et à l’impotence de la justice, la guerre de tous contre tous”. In: Le Figaro. 02.02.2018. http://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/2018/02/01/31003-20180201ARTFIG00325-garges-les-gonesse-face-a-la-desertion-de-l-etat-et-a-l-impotence-de-la-justice-la-guerre-de-tous-contre-tous.php
– Il récupère sa maison squattée par des Roms grâce à des jeunes de la cité voisine. In: Demotivateur. 03.02.2018. https://www.demotivateur.fr/article/a-76-ans-il-perd-sa-maison-squattee-par-des-roms-avant-de-la-recuperer-grace-a-la-solidarite-de-son-voisinage-de-cite-12532
– Des jeunes de cité délogent 16 Roms squattant une maison pour la rendre à son propriétaire (VIDEOS). In: Russia Today (FR). 01.02.2018. https://francais.rt.com/france/47779-jeunes-cite-delogent-16-roms-squattaient-maison-rendre-proprietaire
– Garges-les-Gonesse: Que risque-t-on à expulser les squatteurs soi-même? In: 20 Minutes (FR). 01.02.2018. https://www.20minutes.fr/justice/2213339-20180201-garges-gonesse-risque-expulser-squatteurs
– MAISON SQUATTÉE : MIEUX VAUT S’APPELER YOUCEF QU’ODETTE ! In: Boulevard Voltaire. http://www.bvoltaire.fr/maison-squattee-mieux-vaut-sappeler-youcef-quodette/
– UN HOMME DE 76 ANS VOIT SA MAISON SQUATTÉE, DES JEUNES DE LA CITÉ VOISINE INTERVIENNENT. In: Urbanhit. 01.02.2018. https://www.urbanhit.fr/news/un-homme-de-76-ans-voit-sa-maison-squattee-des-jeunes-de-la-cite-voisine-interviennent-31816 [link-preview url=”https://www.demotivateur.fr/article/a-76-ans-il-perd-sa-maison-squattee-par-des-roms-avant-de-la-recuperer-grace-a-la-solidarite-de-son-voisinage-de-cite-12532 “]

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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More news this week in France on Roma. Main news is the subject of another post … Other than that, the mayor of the town of Sucy is again in front of the judges (third instance) for having denied Roma children the right to go to school. Let’s hope she is definitively condemned. Near Paris, in the Essons, a fire in a Roma camp injured three people. In Lille, in the North, a camp will be definitively closed. In Sètes, in the South West of France, 62 people were moved from a camp into temporary dwellings while in Montpellier, 40 Roma delegates invited themselves to a meeting of the city council. Finally, in Montpellier too, the story of an abduction of a dog by Roma. This story is doing the rounds in France, unfortunately.

– Nouveau procès pour la maire accusée de refuser des enfants roms à l’école. In: L’Express. 31.01.2018. https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/justice/nouveau-proces-pour-la-maire-accusee-de-refuser-des-enfants-roms-a-l-ecole_1981154.html
– Scolarisation d’enfants roms : la maire de Sucy sera à nouveau jugée. In: Le Parisien. 02.02.2018. http://www.leparisien.fr/val-de-marne-94/scolarisation-d-enfants-roms-la-maire-de-sucy-sera-a-nouveau-jugee-02-02-2018-7537392.php
– Vauhallan : deux femmes et un enfant brûlés dans l’incendie du camp de Roms. In: Le Parisien. 28.01.2018. http://www.leparisien.fr/essonne-91/vauhallan-deux-femmes-et-un-enfant-brules-dans-l-incendie-du-camp-de-roms-28-01-2018-7527600.php
– Essonne : 3 blessés graves, dont un bébé, dans l’incendie d’un campement Rom. In: Europe 1. 29.01.2018. http://www.europe1.fr/faits-divers/essonne-3-blesses-graves-dont-un-bebe-dans-lincendie-dun-campement-rom-3558974
– Bidonville de l’Esplanade : des Roms finalement ” invités ” à partir et non expulsés ? In: La Voix du Nord. 30.01.2018. http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/307906/article/2018-01-30/bidonville-de-l-esplanade-des-roms-finalement-invites-partir-et-non-expulses
– Sète : la deuxième phase du transfert du camp s’est bien déroulée. In: Midi Libre. 02.02.2018. http://www.midilibre.fr/2018/02/01/sete-la-deuxieme-phase-du-transfert-du-camp-s-est-bien-deroulee,1622170.php
– Montpellier : quand les gitans s’invitent au conseil municipal. In: Midi Libre. 03.02.2018. http://www.midilibre.fr/2018/02/02/montpellier-quand-les-gitans-s-invitent-au-conseil-municipal,1622779.php
– Des Roms volent son chien et lui réclament une rançon. In: Wamiz. 30.01.2018. https://wamiz.com/chiens/actu/roms-volent-chien-reclament-ran-12014.html [link-preview url=”https://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/justice/nouveau-proces-pour-la-maire-accusee-de-refuser-des-enfants-roms-a-l-ecole_1981154.html “]

Italy News Western Europe

Something We Don’t Need …

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Three members of a Sinti family were arrested near Rome for robbery and kidnapping. The family answered to private advertisements for car sales, and, upon meeting with the person selling the car, sequestered them and threatened them until they transferred the car ownership to them, clearly without payment.
Something we don’t need.

– Criminalità: arrestati a Roma 3 esponenti della famiglia Casamonica. In: RAI. 03.02.2018. http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/Criminalita-arrestati-a-Roma-3-esponenti-della-famiglia-Casamonica-b87b1bd2-ecf6-4aef-95ed-b56b81323aae.html?refresh_ce [link-preview url=”http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/Criminalita-arrestati-a-Roma-3-esponenti-della-famiglia-Casamonica-b87b1bd2-ecf6-4aef-95ed-b56b81323aae.html?refresh_ce”]

Uncategorized

A Ciambra …

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Another review of the Italian movie “A Ciambra”.

– ‘A Ciambra’ Film Review: Scorsese-Produced Italian Drama Follows Real-Life Roma Family. In: The Wrap. 02.02.2018. https://www.thewrap.com/a-ciambra-film-review-martin-scorsese/ [link-preview url=”https://www.thewrap.com/a-ciambra-film-review-martin-scorsese/”]

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Refugees

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A bit more background on the Czech Roma family that was granted asylum in New Zealand: They were threatened, Molotov cocktails were thrown at their home, and, of course, the police did nothing.

– Politisch verfolgt: Familie muss aus der EU fliehen. In: Huffington Post (DE). 02.02.2018. http://www.huffingtonpost.de/entry/weil-sie-sich-nicht-mehr-sicher-fuhlte-familie-flieht-aus-der-eu_de_5a740bd6e4b01ce33eb16c04 [link-preview url=”http://www.huffingtonpost.de/entry/weil-sie-sich-nicht-mehr-sicher-fuhlte-familie-flieht-aus-der-eu_de_5a740bd6e4b01ce33eb16c04″]

News Western Europe United Kingdom

Roma Photos

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Young Roma photographers documented their lives in Glasgow. The pictures are worth seeing!

– Young Roma photograph their lives in Govanhill. In: BBC News. 03.02.2018. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-42875486
– New exhibition of photos from Roma youngsters in Glasgow helps show the whole picture. In: Daily Record. 02.02.2018. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/new-exhibition-photos-roma-youngsters-11955729 [link-preview url=”https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/new-exhibition-photos-roma-youngsters-11955729″]

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Interior Minister Robert Kalinak

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The Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak is currently whipping up the frenzy on “Roma crime” and on how to combat it. He is asking for special new statistics to assess the size of the problem, but seems to be somewhat confused, as he acknowledges that quite a few already exist. He also wants new measures against crime in the Roma settlements.
Anyhow: The solutions to the problems are well known and do not need these new measures for it. Inclusion would suffice.

– Kaliňák hovoril o Rómoch. V odpovediach sa zamotal. In: Aktuality. 01.02.2018. https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/558701/kalinak-hovoril-o-romoch-v-odpovediach-sa-zamotal/ [link-preview url=”https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/558701/kalinak-hovoril-o-romoch-v-odpovediach-sa-zamotal/”]

News Western Europe United Kingdom

Northern Ireland …

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Who are the most negatively viewed groups in Northern Ireland? Well no surprises: Travellers, Roma, and asylum seekers…

– Most negatively viewed groups include Travellers, Roma and asylum seekers. In: Mail Online. 31.01.2018. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-5332555/Most-negatively-viewed-groups-include-Travellers-Roma-asylum-seekers.html [link-preview url=”http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-5332555/Most-negatively-viewed-groups-include-Travellers-Roma-asylum-seekers.html”]

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Critique

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The Council of Europe published a report on the status of minorities in Slovenia. The report emphasized that the Italian and Hungarian minorities are the primary beneficiary of special privileges in Slovenia and that the government should make more efforts to improve the Roma situation. Slovenia should therefor implement several measures, with, among other things, greater efforts in the fight against hate speech.

– Slovenija mora izboljšati položaj Romov. In: SiO1 Net. 01.02.2018. https://siol.net/novice/slovenija/slovenija-mora-izboljsati-polozaj-romov-459000
– CoE appeals to Slovenia to do more for Roma. In: STA. 01.02.2018. https://english.sta.si/2477877/coe-appeals-to-slovenia-to-do-more-for-roma [link-preview url=”https://siol.net/novice/slovenija/slovenija-mora-izboljsati-polozaj-romov-459000 “]

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