The new exhibition in the museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisation in Marseilles.
Category Archives: News Western Europe
French Chronicle …
Not much about Roma in France this week. Two articles on the judicial system: One where two Roma who were accused of stealing copper were freed for lack of proof; the other, the case of a child removed from her mother based on a wrong testimony. The usual story about the closure of camps in Bordeaux – they simply pop up again somewhere else. And finally, an intervention in the French senate about the lack of social care for Roma children, and the fact that the Roma population living in camps does not decrease. There are roughly 15’000 of them. Since at least 20 years.
- Enquête mal ficelée ? : jugés pour un vol de cuivre, deux jeunes Roms relaxes. In: Actu.fr. 05.05.2023. https://actu.fr/occitanie/montpellier_34172/montpellier-enquete-mal-ficelee-juges-pour-un-vol-de-cuivre-deux-jeunes-roms-relaxes_59445895.html
- Sur la parole d’un témoin complotiste et raciste, on a retiré un bébé rom à sa mère qui mendiait. In radio France. 03.05.2023. https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/la-revue-de-presse/la-revue-de-presse-du-mercredi-03-mai-2023-7475056
- A Bordeaux, l’évacuation sans fin des bidonvilles de précaires de la vigne. In: Yahoo. 06.05.2023. https://fr.news.yahoo.com/bordeaux-lévacuation-fin-bidonvilles-précaires-073058583.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmZyLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJbMofsquDs91WPC_EkckWzcMvfuSQAEBPKGKiHQzS19hQTgcRpOMtgwfEosgXqbj5E0ZPu5jWXUveidH7kyMq-VF9IAWh8ctpqv6Ari_3cVaUE4DR08HA4QTsGAvN4FyCXGwmfxGEhIF_KGnvQUGUiXDVDZVP-QET_YFCUFk9G9
- Manque de protection sociale des enfants issus de la communauté Rom. In: Senat.fr. 04.05.2023. https://www.senat.fr/questions/base/2023/qSEQ23050660S.html
Germany and Racism
Mehmet Daimagüler, the German antiziganism commissioner, criticises the Police and the fact that they are profiling Roma.
- Diskriminierung von Sinti und Roma: „Polizei ist immer das erste Thema“. IN: TAZ. 05.05.2023. https://taz.de/Diskriminierung-von-Sinti-und-Roma/!5929965/
Westerbork
The camp of Westerbork in the Netherlands, a camp from which many Jews and Roma were transferred to death camps, wants to put more emphasis on the victims of the Holocaust. The military tattoo will no longer be blown at the 4 May commemoration in Camp Westerbork this year, instead the bell of camp will be rung before the two minutes of silence.
- In Kamp Westerbork wordt op 4 mei de militaire taptoe niet meer geblazen. In: NRC. 03.05.2023. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/05/03/in-kamp-westerbork-wordt-op-4-mei-de-militaire-taptoe-niet-meer-geblazen-a4163673
French Chronicle …
Not much this week in the press about Roma in France. In Lyon, Roma are being housed in bungalows. Definitively better than the camps. Ear Paris, Roma left a camp. In Western France, a camp was closed. And in the South two Roma from Bosnia were arrested while attempting to steal bicycles.
- Des Roms hébergés dans un village de bungalows : «Ce n’est pas parfait mais c’est mieux qu’ailleurs». In: Le Progrès. 27.04.2023. https://www.leprogres.fr/societe/2023/04/27/a-jean-mace-des-roms-heberges-dans-un-village-de-bungalows-ce-n-est-pas-parfait-mais-c-est-mieux-qu-ailleurs
- Houilles : les Roms ont quitté le camp installé près de la gare dans la plus grande discretion. In: 78 Actu. 28.04.2023. https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/houilles_78311/houilles-les-roms-ont-quitte-le-camp-installe-pres-de-la-gare-dans-la-plus-grande-discretion_59287811.html
- Évacuation d’un squat à Villenave-d’Ornon : d’un camp de Roms à l’autre, « on a déplacé le problème ». In: Sud Ouest. 28.04.2023. https://www.sudouest.fr/gironde/villenave-d-ornon/evacuation-d-un-squat-a-villenave-d-ornon-d-un-camp-de-roms-a-l-autre-on-a-deplace-le-probleme-14944039.php
- Près de Montpellier. Pérols : deux frères, Rambo et Rocki, voleurs de vélos ou receleurs ? IIn: Actu.fr. 30.04.2023. https://actu.fr/occitanie/perols_34198/pres-de-montpellier-perols-deux-freres-rambo-et-rocki-voleurs-de-velos-ou-receleurs_59315761.html
Ilona Lagrene
Ilona Lagrene, who grew up in Heidelberg, received the Gold Staufer medal from Lord Mayor Peter Kurz for her services to the country and her commitment to Sinti and Roma.
Well done!
- Staufermedaille für Ilona Lagrene. In: Rhen Neckar Zeitung. 27.04.2023. https://www.rnz.de/region/metropolregion-mannheim_artikel,-Auszeichnung-in-Mannheim-Staufermedaille-fuer-Ilona-Lagrene-_arid,1102424.html
Diane Abbott
The statements of the Labour MP about racism continue to draw criticism.
- Keir Starmer condemns Diane Abbott’s comments as antisemitic – video. In: The Guardian. 24.04.2023. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2023/apr/24/keir-starmer-condemns-diane-abbotts-comments-as-antisemitic-video
- Diane Abbott: Minority groups condemn Labour MP’s ‘anti-Semitic’ comments and warn there cannot be ‘hierarchy of racism’. In; The Scotsman. 24.04.2023. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/diane-abbott-minority-groups-condemn-labour-mp-s-anti-semitic-comments-and-warn-there-cannot-be-hierarchy-of-racism/ar-AA1aglo1?ocid=Peregrine
Diane Abott
The British Labour MP Diane Abott had to resign following an outcry after a letter she wrote to a newspaper in which she suggested that “prejudice” experienced by “white-seeming people” is distinct from racism against black people.
This when one in three Roma and Travellers have experienced racism in the UK.
- Jewish and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups horrified by Diane Abbott’s racism comments. In: iNews. 23.04.2023. https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/diane-abbott-suspended-labour-suggesting-travellers-irish-jewish-people-dont-experience-racism-2292368
- Diane Abbott has Labour whip suspended after ‘hateful antisemitic’ remarks suggesting Jews do not face racism. In: Sky News. 24.04.2023. https://news.sky.com/story/diane-abbott-accused-of-hateful-antisemitism-after-suggesting-jews-do-not-face-racism-12864141
- Diane Abbott suspended by Labour after suggesting Jewish people do not face racism. In: The Independent. 24.04.2023. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/diane-abbott-racism-observer-letter-jewish-labour-b2325452.html
- Labour schließt Diane Abbott wegen Rassismusvergleich aus Fraktion aus. In: Der Spiegel. 23.04.2023. https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/labour-diane-abbott-wegen-rassismusvergleich-aus-fraktion-ausgeschlossen-a-7eb0620c-0432-417a-8b99-186181a12890
French Book
A posthumous book entitled “Tsiganes” by Patrick Williams, a French anthropology professor who died in January at the age of 73 has just been published.
We definitively disagree with the title, which is typical of the French confusion about Roma.
- In: Pour La Science. 19.04.2023. https://www.pourlascience.fr/sr/livres/tsiganes-25037.php
French Chronicle …
Not much this week. Ab amusing (and inaccurate) article on the French slang expression “nachave pelo” meaning in slang “get away”, “run”. It comes from the verb našav, to flee or to escape, and pelo, a testicle (and not a man as they say). Near Paris, an abandoned camp is an ecological problem, and near Bordeaux, the future closure of a camp means many inhabitants will loose their lodgings, and no replacement solutions have been organised.
- Définition de “Nachave pelo”. In: France Bleu. 19.04.2023. https://www.francebleu.fr/emissions/le-dico-des-ados/definition-de-nachave-pelo-6997710
- Ancien bidonville à l’abandon : “un désastre écologique” sous la responsabilité de l’Etat. In: FR3. 19.04.2023. https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/paris-ile-de-france/paris/video-ancien-bidonville-a-l-abandon-un-desastre-ecologique-sous-la-responsabilite-de-l-etat-2757094.html
- Bidonville de Bordeaux Brazza : « On va partir où, quand le squat va tomber ? », cette évacuation qui inquiète. In: Sud Ouest. 17.04.2023. https://www.sudouest.fr/economie/social/bidonville-de-bordeaux-brazza-on-va-partir-ou-quand-le-squat-va-tomber-cette-evacuation-qui-inquiete-14770915.php
Germany: Grimme Prize
The German Grimme Prize is considered the most important prize for German TV. The winners have been known for a while, but they only now received their prizes. In the “Information & Culture” category, Peter Nestler was honoured for his documentary film about the injustice against German Sinti and Roma families. He tells of Romani Rose’s family, their resistance and their insistence on justice (ZDF/3sat, 112 minutes).
- Grimme-Preis-Gala: Das sind die Gewinner. In: ZDF. 21.04.2023. https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/panorama/grimme-preis-2023-preistraeger-100.html
Barvalo – Marseilles
An exhibition about Roma will open in the museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations in Marseilles on May 9th. It is called “Barvalo”.
Why this title? And why singular?
- Barvalo: Honoring the Rich, Proud Heritage of the Roma People. In: University of Vermont. 20.04.2023. https://www.uvm.edu/news/cas/barvalo-honoring-rich-proud-heritage-roma-people
German Police
Well, the latest survey of the attitudes of the German police come as no surprise. 17% stated they would have issues if Roma settled in their neighbourhood … And there is more.
- “Ein Grund, Angst zu kriegen”. In: Kontext. 19.04.2023. https://www.kontextwochenzeitung.de/debatte/629/ein-grund-angst-zu-kriegen-8815.html
Commemoration in Mittelbau-Dora
In a speech during the commemoration last Sunday, the chairwoman of the State Association of German Sinti and Roma Berlin-Brandenburg, Petra Rosenberg, recalled her father. He survived the concentration camp, but always struggled with what he experienced there and with the memories of it. Rosenberg also criticized the fact that Sinti and Roma still experience discrimination and stigmatization today.
- Gedenken an KZ-Befreiung – «Sinti und Roma sind Europäer». In: Die Zeit. 17.04.2023. https://www.welt.de/regionales/thueringen/article244845468/Gedenken-an-KZ-Befreiung-Sinti-und-Roma-sind-Europaeer.html
Buchenwald: Commemorations
Commemorations were held yesterday in Buchenwald and Bergen Belsen on the 78th anniversary of the liberation of those camps. These commemorations focused this year on Sinti and Roma and the current increase in racism towards them.
- Gedenken an Befreiung des KZ Buchenwald – Schicksal von Sinti und Roma im Fokus. In: MDR. 17.04.2023. https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/thueringen/mitte-thueringen/weimar/kz-gedenkstaette-buchenwald-gedenken-sinti-und-roma-100.html
- “Gedenken ohne Konsequenzen ist nur Ritual”. In: ZDF. 16.04.203. https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/gedenken-buchenwald-bergen-belsen-zweiter-weltkrieg-100.html
Buchenwald: Commemoration
Today, the liberation of the concentration camps of Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora will be commemorated.
- Erinnerung an 78. Jahrestag der Befreiung von Buchenwald. In: Die Zeit. 15.04.2023. https://www.zeit.de/news/2023-04/15/erinnerung-an-78-jahrestag-der-befreiung-von-buchenwald?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
A Successful Sintiza
The portrait of a very successful Sintiza in Germany, and the discrimination she faced in school.
- Angelina ist Sintiza und ehemalige Deutsche Weinkönigin. In: SWR. 15.04.2023. https://www.swr.de/heimat/rheinhessen/sintizaangelina-100.html
French Chronicle …
Not much this week in France. In Western France, in Angers, the authorities are asking themselves how to resolve the issue of 4 Roma camps in the city. Well, for 400 people, this should not be really complicated … An event in Brittany with Roma music and initiation to Romanes was organised in collaboration with a Roma association. Then the more usual: Near Paris, a camp will probably be closed and also near Paris, a squat in a former police building was evacuated.
- Comment résorber les camps de Roms dans l’agglomération ? In: Angers Loire Métropole. 14.04.2023. https://www.angersloiremetropole.fr/medias/64804-comment-resorber-les-camps-de-roms-dans-l-agglomeration/index.html
- À Plouray, une soirée festive à la découverte de la culture rom. In: Le Télégramme. 11.04.2023. https://www.letelegramme.fr/morbihan/plouray/a-plouray-une-soiree-festive-a-la-decouverte-de-la-culture-rom-11-04-2023-13315567.php
- Le camp de Roms installé près de la gare de Houilles bientôt évacué ? In: Actu.fr. 14.04.2023. https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/houilles_78311/le-camp-de-roms-installe-pres-de-la-gare-de-houilles-bientot-evacue_58933254.html
- Squat sur le plateau de Saclay : les familles roms évacuées de l’ancien site de formation de la police. In: Le Parisien. 12.04.2023. https://www.leparisien.fr/essonne-91/squat-sur-le-plateau-de-saclay-les-familles-roms-evacuees-de-lancien-site-de-formation-de-la-police-12-04-2023-E63QRKBFYFDS7DGCUAVENLF63Q.php
Weimar: Commemoration
Another article on the commemorations of the liberation of Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora.
- Weimar: Gedenken an die Befreiung der KZ Buchenwald und Mittelbau-Dora. In: Thib 24. 14.04.2023. https://thib24.de/34451/weimar-gedenken-an-die-befreiung-der-kz-buchenwald-und-mittelbau-dora/
Roma Rights
A Rom truck driver who lives in Manchester has become a social media star and has turned into an activist. A reportage.
- Pongo Calling: An online fight for Roma rights. In: Al Jazeera. 13.04.2023. https://www.aljazeera.com/program/witness/2023/4/13/pongo-calling-an-online-fight-for-roma-rights
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