Category Archives: France

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

In Nantes, in Western France, a new “insertion village” for Roma who previously lived in some of the camps around the city is being created. Its neighbours are not happy. In Toulose, a  camp that has existed for 15 years will be closed soon.

France, Roma, and Bulgaria

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France, Roma, and Bulgaria

The French Institute of Bulgaria is opening its doors to Roma culture from June 2 to 5, 2025. Through screenings and evenings of discussions, this series will highlight their history, creativity, and the diversity of their artistic expressions across Europe.

Unfortunately, being French, they bring a baggage of stereotypes starting with the names of “Roms, Tsiganes, Manouches, Bohémiens, Romanichels, Sintis, Gitans…” And then go on with saying that Roma reside in Europe since the XVth century.  This in Bulgaria, one of the cradles of Roma culture as part of the Byzantine Empire where Roma have been for more than a thousand year.

One can only wish that journalists manage to learn something at some point …

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Unfortunately, the usual in France: Closure of 3 Roma camps in the north near Lille, with the question for Roma about where to go next; a new Roma squat in Villeurbanne near Lyon; and in Toulouse, another camp will be soon dismantled.

Saintes-Marie de la Mer: 

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Saintes-Marie de la Mer: 

A brawl between two families during the pilgrimage of the Saintes-Marie de la Mer resulted in shots being fired, with two people seriously wounded and some others hit by baseball bats.

Bad.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Not much this week about Roma in France. Another article about Roma in Nantes protesting their expulsion as they are working, and another one about a fire in a Roma camp in Lille, in Northern France.

Saintes Maries de la Mer

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Saintes Maries de la Mer

The yearly pilgrimage of Saintes Maries de la Mer has started.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …
Not much news: A fire in a Roma camp in the North of France, and many articles about Roma in Nantes trying to get attention about their plight. Manifestations to support them were organised.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

An interesting article about a professor in France stating “they are not nomads”. Pretty much everyone knows that, except for France …

Other than that, Roma from a closed camp still have no permanent abode, and two articles on dogs. One where apparently dogs were drugged by Roma for begging, and the other, the case of a dog stolen by a Rom.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

The news in France on Roma is dominated by the murder of a Moslem in the South of France. The suspect, a Frenchman of Bosnian origins surrendered to the Italian police after he fled the crime scene. What does it have to do with Roma, well, unfortunately, the suspect murderer is Christian Rom from Bosnia…

Other than that, an exhibition in the South of France on “Gitans”.

Une exposition raconte les trajectoires gitanes. In: Midi Libre. 03.05.2025. https://www.midilibre.fr/2025/05/03/une-exposition-raconte-les-trajectoires-gitanes-12672536.php

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Quite a few articles in the French press about the deportation of Roma during World War Two wit  a special commemoration on the “Dzy of Deportation” on Roma in the deportaion Museum in Tarbes, France.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Lots of news this week about Roma in the French press. First, a Roma collective addresses the French deputies regarding Antigypsyism. Then the more usual news in France: An expulsion in Marseilles and the consequences of upcoming closure of a large camp near Nantes in Western France.

France and the Genocide

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France and the Genocide

An action in France for the recognition of the genocide of the Roma (and the participation of France in it.

April 8th in the French Press

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April 8th in the French Press

Several articles in the French press about April 8th.

Greece: Romaland

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Greece: Romaland

A theatre performance about Roma in Greece, with Roma. The scenography, which, through its few elements, flouts expectations. A plastic chair, a wooden hut with a tin roof, grass and rocks, car seats, a guitar, and even a large, dilapidated billboard—which will serve as a projection screen—denote an environment that ticks all the boxes of stereotypes. Assistant director Avraam Goutzeloudis, himself Roma, introduces the setting.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Only one significant news in the French press this week, with Jean Baptiste Borsali, the mayor of the town of Le Bourget, near Paris, asking the interior minister to evacuate two camps of Roma in this town. The mayor reports “insistent and sometimes aggressive begging”, an “increase in burglaries and snatch thefts”, a “growing sense of insecurity”, an “uncontrollable proliferation of pests despite pest control efforts” and “streets and sidewalks littered with rubbish from systematic garbage rummaging”.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Quite a few articles this week in the French press about Roma. Mostly about a Roma camp near Nantes in Western France. Roma in this camp, in Carquefou have been summoned to leave. The issue, they cannot leave with their 131 caravans, as the access road is blocked. No comment.

In Nantes, in another camp, a fire started and in the same city, an organisation is worried about the living conditions in Roma camps. Still in Western France, an exhibition aims at building bridges between Roma and the local population. In Annecy, in the Alps, a camp reopened. In South of France, a German tourist geolocalised his stolen iPad in a Roma camp.

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/pays-de-la-loire/loire-atlantique/nantes/des-roms-sommes-de-quitter-les-lieux-alors-que-la-route-est-barree-60-familles-dans-une-situation-kafkaienne-3125824.html

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

In Paris on March 26th, Alina Şerban will present her new theatre piece titled “the big shame”. Near Nantes in Western France, Roma who live on a site called “la Montagne” talk to the press. On the same site, an initiative invited the Roma and neighbours for two events.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Almost no news in France this week about Roma. A conference to be held on March 11th about “Roms et Gens du Voyage” (the usual French mess in terms of names), in Western France, and the tons of garbage that are left after the closure of a Roma camp near Paris.

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