Category Archives: Bulgaria

After the fight in Kazanlak between Roma families in which one man was killed, the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained 13 people during an action in Taža and Manolovo, two neighbouring villages. The families who caused the mass fight in Kazanlak 2 days ago, after which one person died, live there.

• След побоя между ромски фамилии МВР задържа 13 лица при акция в Тъжа и Манолово. In: BG on Air. 22.03.2023. https://www.bgonair.bg/a/166-kriminalno/299779-sled-poboya-mezhdu-romski-familii-mvr-zadarzha-13-litsa-pri-aktsiya-v-tazha-i-manolovo

Kazanlak mayor’s, Galina Stoyanova, had a strong reaction to the bloody fight between the two Roma families in the city centre. The Roma do not live and are not residents of the city, reported a “Focus” reporter.

“As mayor of the Municipality of Kazanlak, I am concerned about the peace and safety of citizens and the prevention of escalation of public dissatisfaction or clashes between people, as was the case on 03/20/2023 and ended with a fatal outcome for one of the participants.

• Кметът Галина Стоянова: Остро осъждам кървавия бой между двата ромски рода, които не са жители на общината. In: Focus News. 21.03.2023. https://www.focus-news.net/novini/regioni/Kmetut-Galina-Stoyanova-Ostro-osuzhdam-kurvaviya-boi-mezhdu-dvata-romski-roda-koito-ne-sa-zhiteli-na-obshtinata-1607912

A fight between two Roma families left a father of two dead and 6 wounded. The fight between two rival Roma families happened in Kazanlak, Bulgaria. They went at each other with shovels and axes.

Not good.

• След боя в Казанлък: Загиналият е баща на 2 деца, 7 души са с опасност за живота. In: Off News. 21.03.2023. https://offnews.bg/112/sled-boia-v-kazanlak-zaginaliat-e-bashta-na-2-detca-7-dushi-sa-s-opa-797475.html
• След масовия бой: Жандармерия пази двете ромски фамилии, враждата между тях е от години. In: Trtsffic News. 21.03.2023. https://trafficnews.bg/krimi/sled-masoviia-boi-zhandarmeriia-pazi-dvete-romski-familii-273451/

A portrait of a young Romni in Bulgaria. She has completed her university degree and is now a teacher. What the article and its introduction actually says is not quite accurate and gives a wrong view, perpetuating stereotypes. The article states that “Only about 3% of the Roma in the country have a university degree, only 23% have high school” which is the usual idiotic statement, as the actual number of Roma is not known. They also add that “In the case of Romnja, there is also the fact that they are usually unofficially married very early, sometimes as children – a widespread practice that is not legal, but is usually tolerated by the state”. Well, the practise is not widespread. Children marriages are almo0srt exclusively done among Vlach Roma, a minority in Bulgaria. In addition, the unofficial marriage is often simply having a boyfriend …

Normally, Deutsche Welle is a bit better …

• “Ich bin eine Romni”: eine Erfolgsgeschichte aus Bulgarien. In: Deutsche Welle. 14.03.2023. https://www.dw.com/de/ich-bin-eine-romni-eine-erfolgsgeschichte-aus-bulgarien/av-64986232

More articles on the fights between Roma in Plovdiv and in Montana. The fight in Plovdiv was broken up early, while the one in Montana escalated and saw one policeman wounded and 4 Roma rrested.
Bad.

• Полицай от Монтана е ранен при опит да спре саморазправа между ромски фамилии. In: BTA. 20.02.2023. https://bta.bg/bg/news/bulgaria/410607-politsay-ot-montana-e-ranen-pri-opit-da-spre-samorazprava-mezhdu-romski-familii
• Лъсна причината за бесния ромски екшън с колове на пловдивски булевард. In: Blitz. 20.02.2023. https://blitz.bg/obshtestvo/lsna-prichinata-za-besniya-romski-ekshn-s-kolove-na-plovdivski-bulevard_news938176.html

Two articles in the Bulgarian press about fights between Roma families: One in Montana, in the north of the country, and one in Plovdiv, in the South East. The fights are apparently brutal. This is really not good for Roma.

• Окървавен полицай, хвърчащи бетонни павета, тухли и дърва – такъв ромски екшън стресна Монтана. In: Blitz. 19.02.2023. https://blitz.bg/kriminalni/okrvaven-politsay-khvrchashchi-betonni-paveta-tukhli-i-drva-takv-romski-ekshn-stresna-montana_news937964.html
• Дългогодишна вражда между ромски кланове е причина за боя с прътове в Пловдив. In: Dunav Most. 19.02.2023. https://www.dunavmost.com/novini/dalgogodishna-vrazhda-mezhdu-romski-klanove-e-prichina-za-boya-s-pratove-v-plovdiv

Exactly what one doesn’t need. A brawl between Roma families in Sofia’s central railway station. According to an eyewitness, a group of men of Roma origin attacked two boys with clubs and metal pipes.  One boy called his relatives, who came and the fight escalated. Police and gendarmerie arrived at the scene.

• Ромски мутри се биха на Централна гара, какви са пораженията Копирано от standartnews.com. In: Standart. 05.02.2023. https://www.standartnews.com/balgariya-krimi/romski-mutri-se-bikha-na-tsentralna-gara-kakvi-sa-porazheniyata-516142.html

In the village of Kravoder, villagers complain about Roma stealing from their properties. In a surveillance video, three Roma are caught trying to enter an empty property before fleeing realizing that they were filmed. It seems that the authorities do not intervene, which has apparently a reason: Locals claim that the Roma regularly do work for free for the village head, who in turn turns a blind eye to their actions, so they feel free to do whatever they want with impunity.

Anyhow, this is not good.

• В Краводер пропищяха от ромски набези, ето какво заснеха камери ВИДЕО. In: Blitz. 23.01.2023. https://blitz.bg/obshtestvo/pak-bezchinstvo-v-kravoder-propishchyakha-ot-romski-nabezi-eto-kakvo-zasnekha-kameri-video_news932951.html

Over 200 victims of domestic violence have received legal assistance from mobile teams of lawyers and Roma mediators in the regions of Stara Zagora, Veliko Tarnovo and Varna, the Ministry of Justice informed.  A total of 40 lawyers, together with Roma mediators, tour the remote settlements and Roma neighborhoods in the three regions, so as to shorten the distance as much as possible with the people who need to protect their rights, but do not know how.

• Мобилни групи от 40 адвокати и ромски медиатор оказват помощ в случаи на домашно насилие. In: Focus. 25.11.2022. https://www.focus-news.net/novini/Bylgaria/Mobilni-grupi-ot-40-advokati-i-romski-mediator-okazvat-pomosht-v-sluchai-na-domashno-nasilie-1475371

An epidemic outbreak of hepatitis A was registered in the Roma district of Kosharnik in Montana. The Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) provided 300 hygiene packages and health and educational materials to its residents, reports the BRC.

Preventive and anti-epidemic measures have already been taken on site to limit the spread of the infection among the vulnerable communities in the Roma neighborhood. Each of the hygiene packages provided is individual and includes hand sanitizer, soap, washing powder, shampoo, wet wipes, reusable face masks, etc.

• Епидемичен взрив от хепатит А в ромски квартал в Монтана. In: ffnews. 28.10.2022. https://offnews.bg/zdrave/epidemichen-vzriv-ot-hepatit-a-v-romski-kvartal-v-montana-788251.html

For over two hours, the Bulgarian Vide-President Iliana Yotova discussed with Romane girls and women the problems they face and possible solutions. Yotova was a guest at a national meeting of Roma women “Girls with dreams: let’s turn the page”, which was held at the University of Veliko Tarnovo “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. The seminar, organized by the Amalipe Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance, brought together participants from all over the country. The management of “Amalipe” thanked the vice president for his constant support over the years.

• Вицепрезидентът подкрепи ромски момичета и жени в борбата им за равноправие. In: BTA. 20.10.2022. https://bta.bg/bg/news/bulgaria/oficial-messages/347154-vitseprezidentat-podkrepi-romski-momicheta-i-zheni-v-borbata-im-za-ravnopravie

Very recently, a discussion started in Bulgaria as to whether the singer Preslava, who is famous in Bulgaria might be a part or fully Romani. She did not comment on it …

And frankly, so what?

• Лъсна истината! От ромски произход ли е Преслава?! СКРИЙНШОТ. In: Blitz. 15.10.2022. https://show.blitz.bg/folk/lsna-istinata-ot-romski-proizxod-li-e-preslava-skriinsot

There were Roma protests in Sofia following the death of a Roma taxi driver after a fight. The protests ended late last night without serious damage or arrests, the Ministry of the Interior reports. It is known that after the case of the deceased taxi driver, his relatives and friends blocked the capital’s intersections.

• Няма задържани в София след снощните ромски протести. In: Plovdiv 24. 10.10.2022. https://www.plovdiv24.bg/novini/Bylgaria/Nyama-zadurzhani-v-Sofiya-sled-snoshtnite-romski-protesti-1421142