A celebration for the old New-Year in Bulgaria.
Elena Marushiakova and Veselin Popov have received the Romanipe Award in connection with their long-term work in
the field of Roma research
The Bulgarian poetess and Romni Sali Ibrahim has passed away. May she rest in peace.
The Vasilitsa Roma Festival project brings together the efforts of two artists who have proven themselves on the world stage – Bulgarian Roma and ethnic Bulgarians – for a valuable educational initiative and the creation of a highly artistic creative product, as well as for their presentation to the public.
An article on Roma in Bulgaria and how they are being stigmatised in the country. It is always their fault …
An in-depth article on the situation of Roma in Bulgaria and the institutionalisation of racism against them in the government.
Scary.
– ROMS EN BULGARIE : LE GOUVERNEMENT POUSSE À LA HAINE ET AU RACISME. In: Le Courrier des Balkans. 10.05.2019. https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Bulgarie-les-autorites-a-la-pointe-du-racisme-anti-rom [link-preview url=”https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Bulgarie-les-autorites-a-la-pointe-du-racisme-anti-rom”]
An article about the worsening situation of Roma in Bulgaria and about the increasing racism against them in a country where there was little if any 20 years ago.
– ‘Free Abortion’ Talk No Real Surprise To Bulgaria’s Roma. In: Radio Free Europe. 21.02.2019. https://www.rferl.org/a/free-abortion-talk-no-real-surprise-to-bulgarias-roma/29782385.html [link-preview url=”https://www.rferl.org/a/free-abortion-talk-no-real-surprise-to-bulgarias-roma/29782385.html”]
An article on the policies of forced evictions of Roma and of collective punishment in Bulgaria.
Bad.
– Forced Evictions, Discrimination Continue to Afflict Bulgaria’s Roma. In: Voice of America. 13.02.2019. https://www.voanews.com/a/forced-evictions-discrimination-continue-to-afflict-bulgaria-s-roma-minority/4784655.html
– Forced evictions, discrimination continue to afflict Bulgaria’s Roma minority. In: Reuters. 10.02.2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bulgaria-roma-housing-feature/forced-evictions-discrimination-continue-to-afflict-bulgarias-roma-minority-idUSKCN1Q202O [link-preview url=”https://www.voanews.com/a/forced-evictions-discrimination-continue-to-afflict-bulgaria-s-roma-minority/4784655.html “]
More on the controversial proposal of Roma Integration presented by the deputy prime minister. He also proposes free abortions to Roma women …
No comments …
– Bulgaria’s deputy PM proposes free abortions for Roma women to control birth rate. In: Daily Sabah. 08.02.2019. https://www.dailysabah.com/europe/2019/02/08/bulgarias-deputy-pm-proposes-free-abortions-for-roma-women-to-control-birth-rate [link-preview url=”https://www.dailysabah.com/europe/2019/02/08/bulgarias-deputy-pm-proposes-free-abortions-for-roma-women-to-control-birth-rate”]
Bulgarian nationalists have presented a “Roma Integration Plan” which foresees cutting welfare and destroying “illegal” housing.
Really? And this in the EU?
– Bulgarian Nationalists’ Roma ‘Integration’ Plan Dismays Rights Advocates. In: Balkan Insight. 07.02.2019. http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bulgarian-nationalists-issue-controversial-roma-integration-plan-02-07-2019 [link-preview url=”http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bulgarian-nationalists-issue-controversial-roma-integration-plan-02-07-2019″]
A recapitulation of the facts that led to a collective punishment of Roma in Plovdiv and later to a manifestation.
Scary.
– Bulgaria’s Voyvodinovo saga: Karakachanov, ‘impudent gypsies’ and the voices of concern. In: Sofia Globe. 14.01.2019. https://sofiaglobe.com/2019/01/14/bulgarias-voyvodinovo-saga-karakachanov-impudent-gypsies-and-the-voices-of-concern/?fbclid=IwAR3WoJBB8-hn7Mufc3zec0C9q-uKCtWNWAEX1foAx49bdChK0RI4yIkNYSg [link-preview url=”https://sofiaglobe.com/2019/01/14/bulgarias-voyvodinovo-saga-karakachanov-impudent-gypsies-and-the-voices-of-concern/?fbclid=IwAR3WoJBB8-hn7Mufc3zec0C9q-uKCtWNWAEX1foAx49bdChK0RI4yIkNYSg”]
A report on the arrest of 6 people in Bulgaria for their involvement in a terrorist network. So far – nothing special. But then, the small sentence about the rise of “radical Islam” among the Roma community.
This has nothing to do with the arrests – but puts squarely the Roma in the focus.
Bad journalism.
– Bulgarie: six inculpés pour financement d’un puissant réseau terroriste. In: I24 Europe. 19.01.2019. https://www.i24news.tv/fr/actu/international/europe/193530-190119-bulgarie-six-inculpes-pour-financement-d-un-puissant-reseau-terroriste [link-preview url=”https://www.i24news.tv/fr/actu/international/europe/193530-190119-bulgarie-six-inculpes-pour-financement-d-un-puissant-reseau-terroriste”]
An attack by two Roma initiated a cycle of violence against the community, including the demolition of a Roma neighbourhood in the village of Voyvodinovo near Plovdiv. 200 people demonstrated in Sofia on 14 January against this collective punishment. They demanded the resignation of Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov – who ordered the demolition – for his “hate speech”.
– BULGARIE : CHRONIQUE DE LA VIOLENCE ANTI-ROMS ORDINAIRE. In: Le Courrier des Balkans. 18.01.2019. https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Bulgarie-chronique-de-la-violence-anti-roms-ordinaire [link-preview url=”https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/Bulgarie-chronique-de-la-violence-anti-roms-ordinaire”]
The nationalist Bulgarian politician Valeri Simeonov was acquitted of charges of hate speech against Roma by Bulgaria’s supreme court. On December 17th, 2014, Simeonov told the House that “part of this (Roma) ethnicity” had become “arrogant, presumptuous and ferocious humanoids, ready to kill in order to steal a few leva”.
BAD!
– Bulgaria supreme court acquits Valeri Simeonov on anti-Roma hate speech charge. In: The Sofia Globe. 18.01.2019. https://sofiaglobe.com/2019/01/18/bulgaria-supreme-court-acquits-valeri-simeonov-on-anti-roma-hate-speech-charge/ [link-preview url=”https://sofiaglobe.com/2019/01/18/bulgaria-supreme-court-acquits-valeri-simeonov-on-anti-roma-hate-speech-charge/”]
Austria condemned a publisher of an Online portal for racism following an article on the rape of a woman by a group of youngsters who were from Bulgaria and suggesting that they might have been Roma because there are many of them in Bulgaria.
– Presserat: Artikel auf “zurzeit.eu” diskriminiert Roma und Sinti. In: Der Standard. 15.01.2019. https://derstandard.at/2000096265133/Presserat-Artikel-auf-zurzeiteu-diskriminiert-Roma-und-Sinti
– Artikel auf „zurzeit.eu“ diskriminiert Roma und Sinti. In: OTS. 15.01.2019. https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20190115_OTS0086/artikel-auf-zurzeiteu-diskriminiert-roma-und-sinti [link-preview url=”https://derstandard.at/2000096265133/Presserat-Artikel-auf-zurzeiteu-diskriminiert-Roma-und-Sinti “]
Hundreds of Roma protested yesterday in Sofia demanding the resignation of the prime minister following the destruction of a Roma settlement in Plovdiv and racist comments from the prime minister, who, for example, said that “the Gypsies have become extremely insolent”.
– Yesterday Hundreds of Roma People Demanded the Resignation of Deputy PM with a Protest in Sofia. In: Novinite. 15.01.2019. https://www.novinite.com/articles/194495/Yesterday+Hundreds+of+Roma+People+Demanded+the+Resignation+of+Deputy+PM+with+a+Protest+in+Sofia [link-preview url=”https://www.novinite.com/articles/194495/Yesterday+Hundreds+of+Roma+People+Demanded+the+Resignation+of+Deputy+PM+with+a+Protest+in+Sofia”]
The Bulgarian state is doling out collective punishment to Roma following an altercation between a Rom and a soldier.
– https://www.facebook.com/Antifascist.BG/videos/348601499292615/ [link-preview url=”https://www.facebook.com/Antifascist.BG/videos/348601499292615/”]
Sofia is extremely polluted, due to its increasing urbanisation, the switch to individual heating vs. the old centralised socialist system, and too many cars.
But according to the press, the real cause are the Roma … Because they drive old cars and heat with wood.
It is always easier to have someone else to blame.
– BULGARIE : POLLUTION DE L’AIR À SOFIA, C’EST LA FAUTE AUX PAUVRES ! In: Le Courrier des Balkans. https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/bulgarie-sofia-pollution-air-voiture-chauffage [link-preview url=”https://www.courrierdesbalkans.fr/bulgarie-sofia-pollution-air-voiture-chauffage”]
Bulgaria significantly increased state funding for religions, including Islam, in an attempt to prevent radical Islam. The bad point here is that the Roma are mentioned in the same sentence together with radical Islam. And while many Roma are Moslems, up till now they haven’t radicalised at all. Anyhow, best weapon against this is integration …
– La Bulgarie légifère pour mieux contrôler l’islam radical. In: i24 Europe. 21.12.2018. https://www.i24news.tv/fr/actu/international/europe/191452-181221-la-bulgarie-legifere-pour-mieux-controler-l-islam-radical [link-preview url=”https://www.i24news.tv/fr/actu/international/europe/191452-181221-la-bulgarie-legifere-pour-mieux-controler-l-islam-radical”]
The extreme right and anti-Roma Bulgarian MP Angel Dzhambaski was arrested at Sofia’s airport with a weapon…
– Bulgarian MEP Angel Dzhambazki was Detained with Weapon at Sofia Airport. In: Novinite. 27.11.2018. https://www.novinite.com/articles/193517/Bulgarian+MEP+Angel+Dzhambazki+was+Detained+with+Weapon+at+Sofia+Airport?fbclid=IwAR2PxLlRkP7d7lvxC0x2QdfsSrjGlRuyiUB2QRFCiQYggFVedQpVbAfbIR0 [link-preview url=”https://www.novinite.com/articles/193517/Bulgarian+MEP+Angel+Dzhambazki+was+Detained+with+Weapon+at+Sofia+Airport?fbclid=IwAR2PxLlRkP7d7lvxC0x2QdfsSrjGlRuyiUB2QRFCiQYggFVedQpVbAfbIR0″]
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