Not acceptable. Gilles Bourdouleix’ condemnation for racism for having said that “Hitler probably did not kill enough of them” has been slashed. The reasoning from the judges is quite special: He did not intend these words to be made public… But he told them, so he is certainly racist.
SHAME AND PROTEST!!!!
In spite of protests by the mayor and by the town’s residents, the French state ordered the continuation of the works for the so-called insertion village for Rroma. The opposition of the residents is totally overblown and shows what people actually think about Rroma in France.
Sans commentaires – without commentaries.
The news on travellers in France (gens du voyage) is as usual dominated by opposition and issues with their camps, and of course criminality. The number of articles says it all (and it is only a sample).
Camps:
Crime:
An interview of Kenan Emini, president of the Roma anti-discrimination Network Göttigen on the forced repatriation of Rroma to so-called sagfe countries such as Kosovo.
In eine gefährliche Zukunft: Leiter des Roma Anti-Diskriminierungsnetzwerkes über Abschiebung. In: Ostthüringer Zeitung. 09.12.2015. http://gera.otz.de/web/lokal/politik/detail/-/specific/In-eine-gefaehrliche-Zukunft-Leiter-des-Roma-Anti-Diskriminierungsnetzwerkes-ue-1936862078
An article on a Study of the Italian Association “July 21” on what it means living in camps for Rroma in Italy. In that country, these camps are institutionalised and the police, the authorities and NGOs all maintain this status quo.
A MUST READ!
A new book by Tanja Kambouri in Germany, entitled “Deutschland im Blaulicht. Notruf einer Polizistin” [Germany in blue light. Emergency calls of a policewoman], contains statements that are simply not acceptable. The book states for example that “Sinti und Roma sind meist Großfamilien mit fehlender Bereitschaft, sich zu integrieren” [Most Sinti and Roma are large families that show no readiness to integrate].
SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE … This shows a clear lack of understanding of the Rroma minority and clear racist prejudices.
The French magazine Valeurs Actuelles and its redactor in chief, Yves de Kerdrel, have been condemned in appeal to a fine of 2’000 Euro for “incitation to racial hatred” and racism following their editiorial “ “Roma – the overdose”.
Well done!
A study presented by the authorities and experts see an increase of parallel justice in Berlin and state that this creates a climate of fear. This is fine and good. But …
Professor Mathias Rohe, main author of the study states that “Man findet solche Strukturen häufig auch bei Sinti und Roma sowie in mafiös organisierten Gruppen”[one finds such structures also among Sinti and Roma as well as in mafia-like organised groups] – referring to parallel justice etc.
This is simply NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Romani Rose, the president of the German Council of Sinti and Roma was awarded the Jochen Bock Price for 2015. This distinction is meant to recognise courage in the civil society.
Well Done!
An Italian association, “July 21” is protesting the closure of a Rroma camp near Rome as part of the fight against petty criminality. One should say there that these camps – contrary to France – are run by the state, the police, and NGOs. Rroma have been parked in them for decades ….
The French news are dominated by the regional elections in France where Rroma are instrumentalised by the Front National. Many articles on this topic, but little specific content beyond this fact…
Other than that, few news beyond Saint-Genis-les-Ollières. In Wissous, neighbours are furious because of the Rroma camp, complaining about noise, dirt, and rats; a cadaver was discovered in a site previously squatted by Rroma near Marseilles; one family (yes, one) happy tale in the North of France after having found a permanent housing; and finally an exhibitionist who was paying Rroma children to watch him – one of the few news with Rroma where the Rroma are not the criminals…
The inhabitants and the mayor of the small village of Saint-Genis-les-Ollières near Lyon are continuing their opposition to an integration village (village d’insertion) for Rroma in their commune. They are now giving back their elector’s cards and the mayor’s trying a last legal recourse against this decision.
The former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy again missed a good opportunity to remain silent. He again fumed against immigration, refugees, and Rroma.
Pity that France did not close their border in 1956… He would be playing with Orban in Hungary nowadays!
The Geneva police went to investigate a case of human trafficking – a man accused to have sold his invalid son to go and beg in Geneva. As usual, stereotypes prevail. No one has so far proven that there are criminal clans engaged in begging. There are families who live from that, but this is about it. And it is not a business – not for 20 CHF per day.
It did not stop with the War… The review of a book on the fate of Rroma and Sinti in Germany after 1945. Many of the persecutions did indeed continue well into the 21st century.
A German court in Göttingen decided that two families of Rroma from the Kosovo must return as they did not integrate in Germany.
SHAME!
First, the Germans recognised the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo and de-facto expulsion of all minorities, with less than 10% of the original Rroma still living there, and now, 16 years after the facts, people are sent back.
PROTEST!
An article about the mobilisation of the Swiss rightist party (SVP/UDC) against Rroma travellers in Martigny, in the French speaking part of Switzerland.
Populists!
As part of an Interview, the ex-President and now candidate said a few things that make no sense …
A documentary on Bulgarian Rroma was shown in Bordeaux in France. It highlighted the issue of illegal buildings, a topic that was often in the press lately.
The story of a young traveller girl who was shut in for three weeks because she lost her virginity is placated in the press as a sign of the backwardness of these travellers. The point here is not that it happened, there are traditional people in every community (otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so many people in France manifesting for “traditional” families), the point is that it is not descriptive of all Rroma …
DE 
EN 
FR