Category Archives: Spain

News Western Europe Spain

Mallorca and Roma

Published by:

Mallorca and Roma

Laura Jurado’s new work, ‘Mallorca romaní. Una historia de la comunidad gitana’, explores five centuries of Romani presence in Palma and Mallorca, detailing their history and current social debates. The book discusses the historical oppression faced by the Romani people, including restrictions on their clothing, language, and livelihoods, as well as significant events like the Gran Redada in 1749, which targeted all Romani individuals in Spain.

The establishment of Son Banya, a settlement for Romani people in the 1960s, is highlighted as a failed urban planning initiative that has become a stigma for the Romani community, exacerbated by issues like drug problems and illegal constructions.

News Western Europe Spain

Shooting

Published by:

Shooting

A shooting incident in Valencia involving rival Roma families resulted in one death and three injuries, with four men arrested. The violence escalated from a family argument between two young cousins, leading to a brawl and gunfight in the streets.

The victim, shot multiple times, died shortly after being hospitalized, while one of the arrested men was also injured in the incident.

You can only wonder at the use of sentences such as “clans of Roma gypsy origin”. They really don’t know what they are talking about …

News Western Europe Spain

Etnosur Festival

Published by:

Etnosur Festival

The Etnosur festival will kick off the filming of “Voces Gitanas desde el Sur,” a documentary aimed at highlighting the social, educational, political, and cultural contributions of the Roma community in Granada and Jaén.

The project, led by the La Comunitaria association and part of the European ROVA initiative, seeks to combat stereotypes by sharing real stories from prominent figures within the Roma community.

The filming will begin on July 18 with a cultural event featuring flamenco music and international dance, culminating in a performance by the DHOAD Gypsies of Rajasthan, promoting cultural exchange between Eastern and Western Roma roots.

News Western Europe Spain

Resistance / Six Centuries

Published by:

Resistance / Six Centuries

An article in El Pais about Roma resistqance and the new generation. Unfortunately, they mix up their history. They say six centuries in Europe. Roma have effectively been for six centuries in Western Europe, but for much longer in the Balkan and in Greece.

This is always the same misreading of history, and from a normally good paper. And in addition they state “Roma people”… Would they say Spanish people? Or just Spaniards?

Annoying.

News Western Europe Spain

Roma in Spain

Published by:

Roma in Spain

The book “Pueblo Gitano. 600 años de historia y cultura en España” [The Gitanos People: 600 Years of History and Culture in Spain] coordinated by Gonzalo Montaño, Joan M. Oleaque, and Arnau Vilaró, dismantles six centuries of silence, prejudice, and official narratives about Roma history.

Too bad they used the Gitanos name and not the endonym, “Cale”.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Spain

Sally Cortes

Published by:

Sally Cortes

“The first step must be taken by oneself – to believe that one can achieve everything one dreams of,” says Romani writer and activist Sally Cortés in an interview.

News Western Europe Spain

Roma in Spain

Published by:

Roma in Spain

An overview of the current situation, progress, and challenges faced by Roma in Spain.

News Western Europe Spain

Catalogna: Exhibition

Published by:

Catalogna: Exhibition

Mercedes Porras, a Romani activist and curator of the exhibition The Roma people in Catalonia: history and culture, which can be seen at the Museum of the History of Catalonia until August 2, 2026 is part of the commemoration of the 275th anniversary of the Great Raid of 1749 and the 600th anniversary of the arrival of the Roma people to the peninsula.

News Western Europe Spain

Spain: Commemoration

Published by:

Spain: Commemoration

The Spanish city of Denia commemorated the liberation 275 years ago of nearly 300 Romnja and children who were arrested in a raid against Roma in 1749 that took place throughout Spain, incarcerated in the local fortress and only liberated a year later.

News Western Europe Spain

Roma and Statistics

Published by:

Another one of those “statistics”. Here, it states that only 29% of Roma are getting the minimum living income. It then proceeds to conclude that 71% of Roma who are entitled to this benefit are not receiving it.

Spot the issues? 1. How many Roma are there? No one knows for sure. 2. The author is assuming that all Roma are poor. Which is not the case.

Bad journalism, even worse arithmetics.

News Western Europe Spain

Barcelona and Roma

Published by:

A route through Barcelona is quite different from the ones that take place in the city centre and which aim to show the beautiful side of Barcelona. Organized by EMIC Maridadges Culturals and the Catalan Institute of Anthropology (ICA), in the framework of Anthropology Week, it is called La ciutat dels oblidats. It is led by the historian Montse Solé and wants to show the city that is often not explained. In other words, visit the places where mainly the Roma population settled, and which were on the outskirts of Barcelona.

News Western Europe Spain

Football – a First

Published by:

Not only did she score the winning goal for her team, taking home the women’s world cup, but she is also the first Romni to do so. Congratulations.

And condolences, as she lost her father that week-end.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Spain Ukraine

Spain Symposium

Published by:

More than forty people from the Roma community, among them refugees from Ukraine participate here in a “protected space” in a symposium on the management of traumas and their healing, for strengthening and empowering oneself.

Roxanna-Lorainne Witt, co-founder of the association Save Space and co-organizer of the symposium, explains in an interview for DW: “Who strengthens those people, who are strong for all of us? How are role models supported, so that strengthen themselves, while they themselves often have to work without stable perspectives and structures? Normal experiences – such as seeing the sea once in a lifetime – are often completely undervalued.”

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN