The young 16 years-old Roma who was shot by the police in Thessaloniki died and was buried on Thursday in the presence of more than 1’500 mourners.
May he rest in peace.
A long article about the shooting of a young Rom in Thessaloniki last week, and about the recurring police violence and racism against Roma and generally minorities in Greece, this with almost impunity.
It also highlights that the Roma are there since the Byzantine Empire (true, but most of the original Greek Roma are now in Turkey due to the population exchange in the 1920, and the current Roma are mostly Vach Roma who escaped the slavery), and it highlights the dire situation in which they are.
They are badly regarded in Greece and considered by many to be criminals.
This is bad.
A news article with an inciendary headline “Roma burned businesses, raided cafes and beat citizens
Western Attica is a battlefield” following the manifestations after the shooting of a young Rom in Thessaloniki. Yes, there were riots, shops got ransacked, but this was definitively not all Roma.
Bad journalism, unfortunately with a goal, namely to portray Roma as violent, dangerous and criminal.
A Rom was murdered yesterday near Athens following a fight in a Roma camp. This time it was not the police and is unrelated to the latest protests.
But it is not good for the Roma community to have these kind of headlines.
Roma leaders in Greece have appealed to calm following riots in major cities in Greece following the shooting of a young Roma in Thessaloniki. At least 10 police officers were injured during the riots in Athens with protester also commemorating another fatal shooting by the police in 2008.
There were manifestations in Athens, Thessaloniki, and other Greek cities following the shooting of Kostas Frangoulis, a 16-year-old Roma in Thessaloniki. He was severely wounded by the Police after allegedly failing to pay a €20 (£17) fuel bill at a petrol station. These manifestations took place on the eve of the commemoration of another shooting of another teenager killed on Decembe 6th, 2008 by an officer in Athens’ Exarchia district. Last year, another young Rom Nikos Sampanis was fatally shot in a car chase near Athens. There is a clear pattern of violence here.
The protesters shouted slogans such as “Stop the murderous police”.
A 16-year-old Roma boy was shot by the police in Thessaloniki, Greece, after he allegedly filled his vehicle at a fuel station and drove off without paying. The young man is in hospital in critical condition and the policeman sho shot him has been suspended.
There was a protest march in the city, organised by leftists and anarchists which degenerated with some of the protesters smashing shop windows and throwing Molotov cocktails at the police. This is not good.
The shooting of a Rom by the police is not the first case in Greece unfortunately.
Dr. Paul Isaac Hagouel, president of the Roma Genocide Committee at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) spoke to APE-MPE on the occasion of the Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day on August 2nd. Himself the son of an Auschwitz survivor, explained that “the oblivion of the Roma and Sinti Genocide perpetuated prejudices and stereotypes about the Roma which, in turn, fostered discrimination and unfounded and at the same time harmful hatred of the ‘other’ – Anti-Gypsyism”.
Thus, the IHRA, a transnational organization, constituted by a combination of experts and top diplomats from the member states, recommended the creation of the Commission on the Genocide of the Roma in 2007. This interdisciplinary IHRA Committee aims to raise awareness of prejudice against Roma and Sinti and highlight the link between the history of persecution and the current situation in Roma communities which, continue to experience the manifestations of stereotypes, prejudices and, quite often, (racial) hatred.
An article on the aftermath of a recent police killing of a young Rom near Athens.
Thessaloniki Appellate Court judgement of 31 January 2022 reversed the decision of the lower court not to evict Roma families from the “Tsairia” area of Thermaikos Municipality near Thessaloniki. In February 2020, following the initial trial for eviction by the Mayor of Thermaikos, Roma won a reprieve.
Let’s now see what happens.
The European Court of Human Rights accepted the application of the Roma who are facing eviction following the reversal of an earlier judgement on appeal. In fact the court asked Greece to halt the eviction and asked whether alternative lodging solutions are available.
Let’s hope.
Tsirpas, the Greek PM, met Roma representatives. According to him, his government made good progress on Integration…
Well, lots remain to be done…
– Greece’s gypsies should not be viewed as second class citizens: Greek PM. In: Greek City Times. 09.04.2019. https://greekcitytimes.com/2019/04/09/greeces-gypsies-should-not-be-viewed-as-second-class-citizens-greek-pm/ [link-preview url=”https://greekcitytimes.com/2019/04/09/greeces-gypsies-should-not-be-viewed-as-second-class-citizens-greek-pm/”]
Testimonies of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the war. Greece expelled Moslems and Turkey expelled Christians. Among the Moslems in Greece were most of the local Roma – for example the Sepečides – who are now living in Izmir.
– Roma people tell of ancestors’ 1923 ‘population exchange’ stories. In: Daily News. 13.03.2019. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/roma-people-tell-of-ancestors-1923-population-exchange-stories-141853 [link-preview url=”http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/roma-people-tell-of-ancestors-1923-population-exchange-stories-141853″]
An article about a small town in the North East of Greece with a large Turkish speaking Moslem minority which comprises Turks, but also Roma and Pomaks, the latter being Slavs converted to Muslim religion.
– A Komotini, la minorité musulmane sert de baromètre des relations gréco-turques. In: Euronews. 04.02.2019. https://fr.euronews.com/2019/02/05/a-komotini-la-minorite-musulmane-sert-de-barometre-des-relations-greco-turques [link-preview url=”https://fr.euronews.com/2019/02/05/a-komotini-la-minorite-musulmane-sert-de-barometre-des-relations-greco-turques”]
The type of articles you don’t need: In the Ukrainian press, a report of a fight between Roma in the Transcarpathian village of Podvinohradov after the “election of a Roma baron”… And then the report of a new “Gypsy camp” will be created in Kyiev, and finally also a report of a shooting at a Roma camp in Greece (we reported on this).
So, all good news about Roma and of course, they are dangerous.
– ЧП на Закарпатье: группа ромов устроила массовую драку, причина впечатляет. In: Politeka. 08.08.2018. https://politeka.net/news/society/697312-chp-na-zakarpate-gruppa-romov-ustroila-massovuju-draku-prichina-vpechatljaet/ [link-preview url=”https://politeka.net/news/society/697312-chp-na-zakarpate-gruppa-romov-ustroila-massovuju-draku-prichina-vpechatljaet/”]
13 people were wounded in Rhodes following a shooting near a Roma camp. Apparently, three Roma in a car stopped near the camp and opened fire.
We really don’t need that …
– Gunshots injure 13 in Roma camp in Rhodes. In: Ekathimerini. 31.07.2018. http://www.ekathimerini.com/231292/article/ekathimerini/news/gunshots-injure-13-in-roma-camp-in-rhodes [link-preview url=”http://www.ekathimerini.com/231292/article/ekathimerini/news/gunshots-injure-13-in-roma-camp-in-rhodes”]
The killer of a 13 years old Roma girl has been placed in custody. He claims it has been an accident.
Well – he drove to the Roma camp and fired a deadly shot …
– Roma girl’s killer transferred to Korydallos jail. In: Ekatimerini. 14.06.2018. http://www.ekathimerini.com/229657/article/ekathimerini/news/roma-girls-killer-transferred-to-korydallos-jail [link-preview url=”http://www.ekathimerini.com/229657/article/ekathimerini/news/roma-girls-killer-transferred-to-korydallos-jail”]
A young Roma girl was killed in central Greece. Allegedly, it was an accident.
– Shepherd accused of killing Roma girl placed under tight security. In: Ekathimerini. 12.06.2018. http://www.ekathimerini.com/229540/article/ekathimerini/news/shepherd-accused-of-killing-roma-girl-placed-under-tight-security [link-preview url=”http://www.ekathimerini.com/229540/article/ekathimerini/news/shepherd-accused-of-killing-roma-girl-placed-under-tight-security”]
Someone shot at the police near a Roma camp in Athens. It is not sure whether the shooters were Roma or if it just simply happened there.
The police is actively searching for them.
– Gunmen Shoot at Greek Police Near Athens Roma Camp. In: Greece Reporter. 17.05.2018. http://greece.greekreporter.com/2018/05/17/gunmen-shoot-at-greek-police-near-athens-roma-camp/
– Shots fired at police outside Athens Roma camp. In: Ekathimerini. 17.05.2018. http://www.ekathimerini.com/228737/article/ekathimerini/news/shots-fired-at-police-outside-athens-roma-camp [link-preview url=”http://greece.greekreporter.com/2018/05/17/gunmen-shoot-at-greek-police-near-athens-roma-camp/ “]
An essay by Assistant Professor of Pedagogy – Intercultural Education at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – Greece. His view is that there is no such thing as “Roma” and that Roma are a collection of distinct groups.
Well, we are leaning more towards the theories of Roma Nation that he cites as being wrong …
– How Europe Gets Roma Culture And Identity Wrong. In: Social Europe. 30.04.2018. https://www.socialeurope.eu/roma-culture-and-identity [link-preview url=”https://www.socialeurope.eu/roma-culture-and-identity”]
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