Roma are not a priority for Orban, except of course when he needs their vote for elections.
Shame.
A new report finds systemic racism against Roma in the Czewch Republic. Not suprising, but sad.
The scary politician from the motorist party in Czechia, now in coalition government…
Far-right parties across Europe are using Roma as scapegoats and pusing racism towards them.
This is really bad and scary.
The Roma Union in Slovakia rejects the amendment to the Criminal Code from the coalition SNS, which reduces penalties for extremist crimes. It argues that it gives a “green light to fascists”. It calls on the proposers to withdraw it from the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic.
They are right
This conference aims to raise awareness of antigypsyism/racism against Roma and Sinti. In particular, it seeks to sharpen the understanding of how to recognize antigypsyist discrimination and to consider it as a cross-cutting issue in administrative work.
Another focus will be on presenting existing measures implemented by the State of Berlin to combat and prevent antigypsyism. These measures will not only be presented but also discussed and considered together with regard to their further development.
Finally, the conference aims to encourage self-reflection – with the goal of critically examining how antigypsyism/racism against Roma and Sinti is addressed within the administrative context and initiating processes of change.
An interview with Sára Kaplanová on prejudice, her job as a nurse, and on her social media presence.
Two members of the Czech Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs, David Tišer and Gwendolyn Albert, have terminated their membership in this advisory body. They decided to resign after careful consideration in response to the development of the political environment in the Czech Republic, in which political entities and positions that openly or indirectly question the basic principles of human rights, equality and the protection of minorities are gradually being legitimized.
Antigypsyism is ethnic hatred of Roma throughout centuries. It is a specific form of racism, an ideology based on racial superiority, as a form of dehumanization and institutional racism that perpetuates historical discrimination. This is expressed, among other things, through violence, hate speech, exploitation and stigmatization.
Just as we cannot avoid the interwar samudaripen (the Roma genocide during the Holocaust) and the partisan massacre of Roma, we cannot get rid of antigypsyism. Therefore, our common concern is to create conditions for coexistence and respect for diversity. While respecting the rule of law or legislation that applies to everyone. No exceptions!
The starting point for this article in the context of preserving the historical memory of the genocide of Jews and Roma during World War II was the editorial by Dr. Alija Žerdin in the Saturday supplement of Delo after the tragic event in Novo mesto. He very sensibly pointed out that the Holocaust against the Roma, especially those from Dolenjska in the years 1941–1945, ended eight decades ago. It is still very close and can be more proof of where hatred of those who are different can lead.
A chilling review of the Northern Irish riots against “foreigners” in Ballymena, 6 months ago. They were mostly directed against Roma.
A bakery in Zurich is being asked to rename a salad. They are selling a “Z”-Salad. The well-known bakery say no customer complained…
Well the Swiss are a bit behind in that respect. Up until the 1990’s, the canned meatloaf in the Swiss army was called “pressed jew” – seriously!
While in European cities street music is considered part of urban culture and a meeting of different traditions, the debate about banning Roma musicians has reopened in Croatia. In a statement to the Novosti portal, the President of the Roma Association in the Republic of Croatia Suzana Krčmar warns that this does not only call into question playing on the street, but also the acceptance of cultural diversity. She raises the question of whether the ban applies to all street musicians or only to Roma, since foreign and domestic popular music is performed without any problems in the cities.
The article continues by saying that Suzana Krčmar avoided emphasizing that the Roma who played or tried to play in Croatian cities are citizens of Serbia.
Bad.
A huge number of articles in the Croatian press about the mayor of the town of Sinj, Miro Bulj who removed removed the Roma orchestra from the public space on Christmas Eve, even though they played the since years at Christmas. The mayor explained that they were singing “Đurđevdan”, and that it was inappropriate for Christmas Eve, and that anyhow, they were not authorised to play in public. A video contradict this, as it shows him gesturing towards the musicians to leave.
Prior to that, the orchestra played among the gathered citizens, without any visible incident.
Well, depending how you pronounce this mayor’s name, it means an ass in Romanes.
Institutions and Civil Society Unite Against Racial Discrimination during the Kosovo Regional Summit where they reaffirmed the commitment to combating racial discrimination and promoting the inclusion of Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities.
The Regional Summit Against Racial Discrimination, held in Pristina for the sixth time, emphasized institutional cooperation with civil society to promote inclusive policies and strengthen mechanisms to combat discrimination, particularly against Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities.
Sinti and Roma are frequently subjected to prejudice and discrimination by the police, according to a report. The Reporting and Information Center on Antigypsyism (MIA) analyzed 215 cases reported by victims between 2020 and 2024 for the report presented in Berlin on Thursday.
According to the report, Sinti and Roma often report that their complaints are not recorded by the police, and that incidents are downplayed or denied. Investigations against police officers following complaints are reportedly dropped. In some cases, victims who file a complaint themselves become the target of investigations. The study evaluates hundreds of allegations of discrimination against Roma and Sinti by the police. The spectrum ranges from reports not being recorded to violence – even at a children’s birthday party. Experts are calling for recognition of institutional problems within police departments.
A special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council criticized the lack of awareness of racism in Austria following a visit there. “There is a widespread reluctance to fully acknowledge the existence of racism,” Indian political scientist Ashwini K. P. told the APA news agency on Monday at the UN headquarters in Vienna. She clearly stated her opposition to the planned headscarf ban for girls, arguing that it would reinforce prejudices.
She had also received “disturbing reports and accounts” of discrimination against Roma and Sinti. She was also “deeply concerned” about the increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
in Sitnice, in Northern Croatia close to Slovenia, a man shot two women, killing one, and leaving the other severely wounded in hospital. The two young women were shot in their home in a Roma settlement.
The mayor of Mursko Središće stated that the Sitnice Roma settlement is one of the safest in the country.
A large number of Croats, especially from Međimurje, reacted with hate speech in comments on social networks, without any sympathy for the young woman who lost her life, mocking the Roma and calling for their murder or extermination and the abolition of social assistance.
This is a classic example of femicide, which is a growing problem worldwide, including in Croatia.
The RTS, the French speaking Swiss television channel published the content of some 2,500 pages of internal WhatsApp conversations within the Lausanne police force. The analysis reveals a shocking extent of discriminatory and extremist remarks.
Blacks, Roma, Moslems, Jews, all is included in these racist statements, going as far as mentioning the Nazis of the KKK. And this is a municipal police force in Switzerland.
Sad.
The Swiss Press Council decided in two cases we brought to their attention that Journalists of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and on 20 Minuten.
The «Neue Zürcher Zeitung» violated points 3 (sources) and 8 (prohibition of discrimination) of the «Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists» with the article «North Africans have little to fear» and the corresponding online article. In that article, the journalist said about North African criminals: “contrary to Roma, they are not organised in criminal clans”.
With its article “Protection status S: Resentment over abuse by Roma grows” of February 12, 2024, «20 Minuten» violated points 1 (truth), 3 (withholding important information) and 8 (discrimination) of the «Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists». This article pretty much was stating that Roma refugees from the Ukraine abused the Swiss Asylum, and that many were not even Ukraininas or had false papers.
In light of recent developments in media, when it comes to insulting and belittling the Roma community, journalists and Roma activists in Serbia have initiated a meeting that would open a space for discussion with the most important institutions. The idea is to jointly review the current situation and find effective mechanisms for responding to the increasingly frequent cases of hate speech and discrimination.
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