Category Archives: News Western Europe

Czech Republic France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

France – via the Czech Press

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France – via the Czech Press

4,000 people came to an illegal rave party near Rennes in northwestern France on Saturday. But their loud music in the abandoned hall by the highway bothered the Roma community, which had a camp right next door. The night skirmish between the two groups ended with 14 injured, local firefighters reported on Sunday.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Quite a number of articles this past week in France about Roma. A conference on the “Gypsy practises” mentioning nomads; another one on the persecution of Roma, Sinti, and Yénisches, which perpetuates some of the stereotypes; and an action to help Roma from a slum.

After that, a small commune in Western France which doesn’t want to expel Roma without a more permanent housing solution; and finally, a plethora of articles of a false rumour that a small village next to Nantes would see 500 caravans and Roma resettled there.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania Ukraine United Kingdom

Ukraine, the UK and Roma

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Ukraine, the UK and Roma

A reprint of a Guardian article in the Ukrainian press about Roma palaces in Hășdat.

Both articles pander to sterotypes…

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

More news this week about Roma in France. First, a photography exhibition about Roma in the Balkans. The issue, they speak of “nomad” populations, which is totally wrong in the Balkans. Second, it shows the usual pictures of poverty and many children, which is a result of exclusion, not Roma traditions. In brief, these exhibitions strengthen stereotypes.

A reportage in Nantes  focuses on a new camp near the city and the controversies that it generates there. The story of a premature baby who was abbducted by its parents recently made the headlines in France. The parents were later stopped in Belgium. Here, the article says that the father and mother are Roma, that the father is a petty criminal and the mother a toxicoman.

The other news are more common: A camp near Paris and one near Toulosue were dismantled.

Italy News Western Europe

Padua and Roma

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Padua and Roma

The city of Padua received 1 million euros for th integration of Romane children and adolescents. That’s nice, but that is also not much …

Bulgaria Greece News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Greece and the “Copper Mafia”

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Greece and the “Copper Mafia”

Several articles in the Bulgarian press about a police action in Roma settlements in Greece against the “copper mafia”, which steals and trades metals on the black market. According to the police, these are usually Roma gangs, and the target of their raids are copper cables and railway tracks. Catalytic converters are also removed from the cars, which are then sold on the black market for between 400 and 900 euros. The more expensive ones are stolen to order from illegal car repair shops.

Among the people arrested there were Greeks, Bulgarians, and Romanians.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Another one of these misinformed “documentaries” in France that show one can say anything about Roma. Here, in one of the main TV chanels, where they say there are 17’000 Roma in France – well, if you use that (as the French do) aas a synonym for Romanian Roma of recent arrival, this is correct. But nevertheless, this is pitifull.

Other news are a festival, l’Arbre vagabond in Chambon-sur-Lignon; a vampo near Nantes, where there was a fire fater which it was vacated; another campo where the city of Nantes dives itself 4 years (yes) to relocate Roma from a camp; and in the same city, a new Roma camp in a site that is full of arsenic and mercury.

The French have done nothing in more than twenty years to integrate around 20’000 Roma from Romania. They are still living in slums, being evicted and resettling in another one. Shame.

Greece News Western Europe

Conference in Greece

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Conference in Greece

A conference on Antisemmitism and anti-Roma racism in Greece on October 17th. It goes unter the motto “Let us never forget” and investigates the roots of the Holocaust, a systematic genocide during World War II,  which targeted, Jews and Roma on ethnic grounds. Its roots lie in long-standing prejudices and the radicalization of exclusionary ideologies during the nation-building period of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Understanding this historical context is crucial to recognizing and combating similar forms of discrimination today.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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Not much this week in France The coutnry is more focused on its government (or potential lack thereof) than about Roma. Only one notable article about the closure of a larg Roma camp near Nantes.

Lithuania News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Sweden

Opera and Roma

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Gopalas Michailovskis is a Rom from Lithuania who went to high school and who studied opera, one of his great loves.

Listen to what he says about opera and listen to how Gopalas Mikhailovsky sings opera in Romanes.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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Not much and nothing really good in France about Roma this week. A festival against racism in Toulouse. But figthing rcism with stereotyps is not the best approach. Other than that, residents of a commune near Lyon ask for a Roma camp to be closed. And then, petty criminality: in Alsace and near Nantes.

Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Slovakia

Berlin Ake Dikhea Festival

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The successful Slovak series Iveta was among the selected film productions at the well-known international Roma festival Ake Dikhea?, which takes place every year in Berlin. This festival, which has been appealing to a wide international community for several years with its uniqueness and cultural significance, focuses on the presentation of Roma films that reflect the diverse stories, lives and perspectives of Roma around the world.

Germany News Western Europe

Berlin Memorial

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The Berlin Memorial of the Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialsim is being threatened by work for a new subway line. It could potentially be closed for quite a while.

On Saturday evening, more than 100 demonstrators gathered on Potsdamer Platz to protest against planned construction work for the new S-Bahn line 21 that will not just force the extended closure of this memorial to victims of Nazi genocide, but will also cause a permanent impact due to the felling of nearby trees and other long-term changes to the surroundings.

Germany News Western Europe

Even in Death

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The general secretary of the Federal Association of Sinti and Roma, Romeo Franz, is said to have been severely discriminated against by an undertaker in Homburg. Franz reported to the taz that the owner of the funeral home refused to sell him a coffin and funeral service. He said that he did not do business with Sinti and Roma. Franz described the incident as “dismaying” in an interview with the taz.

Finland News Western Europe

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The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, has called on Finland to continue to honour its strong record in promoting and defending human rights, following a visit to the country from 23 to 26 September, which focused on the situation of Roma and migration and asylum issues.

Well, there is still room for improvement…

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

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Two artciles about the racist murder of a pregnat Romni in France near Geneva. One exhibition about Roma (with a lot os tereotypes); on person stopped while wanting to destroy a Roma camp with a bulldozer; and the case of landowners ordered to cleanup an illegal dump that was apparently started by Roma.

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