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Roma ‘victims of police violence’ in France

Roma people living in France are increasingly the victims of police violence and harassment and sometimes left to fend for themselves even when they call for help, according to a damning new Amnesty International report published on Tuesday.

Roma 'victims of police violence' in France
Roma in France are frequently harassed by French police and often the victims of excessive police violence, say Amnesty International. Photo: Denis Charlet/AFP

French police harass and sometimes use excessive violence against Roma people and don’t always take the necessary measures to protect the group's makeshift communities, according to a new report from rights watchdog Amnesty International.

France continues to pursue a controversial policy of forcibly evicting Roma from their camps, often paying them to return to their countries of origin, mainly Romania and Bulgaria. The Roma are European citizens and have the right to be in France, so the expulsions have drawn repeated rebukes from the European Commission.

France’s systematic dismantling and expulsion of Roma group camps is seen by Amnesty as a major source of the harassment, with 20,000 Roma people expelled in 2013, a figure roughly equivalent to the entire estimated population of the group currently living within France's borders.

Many of France's Roma live in extreme poverty in makeshift settlements with little or no access to basic services, such as water and sanitation, and are at constant risk of forced evictions, Amnesty said.

The report cited several examples of alleged police brutality against Roma, including spraying tear gas inside tents where children were sleeping and beating up one man in the southern city of Marseille.

In Marseille alone, Amnesty recorded, "a dozen cases of police harassment or intimidation since 2011." One of the worst instances involved a Roma a man who had his leg broken by police during the dismantling of his camp late in November 2011.

Amnesty also said police had failed to properly protect Roma communities or investigate attacks against its people. In one case the police arrived an hour after being informed of an attack in May 2013 on Roma families in the town of Hellemmes, northern France.

The attackers still haven't been caught.

Amnesty also points to comments made in September by then interior minister Manuel Valls, now the prime minister, in which he said most of the Roma in France had no intention of integrating and should be sent back to their countries of origin.

After figures were released earlier this year to show that forced evictions have risen under France's Socialist government, League of Human Rights President Pierre Tartakowsky said: "This policy of rejection is ineffective, costly and unnecessary since nothing has changed after these evictions. 

“Roma still live in France, in settlements they have rebuilt a little further away, but their situation is increasingly insecure. The ongoing, increased evictions pave the way for the expression of extremism and anti-Roma racism.”

Amnesty also points to comments made in September by then interior minister Manuel Valls, now the prime minister, in which he said most of the Roma in France had no intention of integrating and should be sent back to their countries of origin.

Ten to 12 million Roma living in Europe

The report's release coincides with International Roma Day, and doesn't just focus on France by noting many of the ten to 12 million Roma living in Europe face "the daily threat of forced eviction, police harassment and violent attacks", Amnesty said.

"The conditions in which many Roma are forced to live are a damning indictment of years of official neglect and discrimination," the group said.

The Roma, a traditionally nomadic people whose ancestors left India centuries ago, have long suffered from discrimination. They were killed in their hundreds of thousands by the Nazis during World War II, alongside Jews and homosexuals.

Discrimination continues today as some countries blame Roma for a rise in petty crime.

In Greece, for instance, Amnesty blamed law enforcement for failing to intervene to stop racially motivated attacks on its 250,000 – 300,000 Roma, discouraging victims from filing complaints and failing to probe or effectively investigate complaints that are lodged.

"In many cases police officers themselves are perpetrators of hate crime," it said.

"More often than not, (national authorities) have pandered to the prejudices fuelling anti-Roma violence by branding Roma as anti-social and unwelcome," Amnesty said.

"For its part, the European Union has been reluctant to challenge member states on the systemic discrimination of Roma that is all too evident."

The report urged national governments and the European Union to commit to eradicating anti-Roma violence, by for instance ensuring that authorities investigate crimes against Roma and that police officers who are likely to come into contact with victims receive adequate training; and by ending forced evictions.

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IMMIGRATION

In pictures: Meet the American street photographer documenting Madrid’s invisible population

When Michael Damanti, a photographer from the United States, moved to Madrid five years ago with his Spanish wife and two children he expected to make a bunch of new friends in the new city.

In pictures: Meet the American street photographer documenting Madrid's invisible population
A Romani girl begging in central Madrid. All photos: Michael Damanti

But what he didn’t count on was that he would meet a group of people that would have such a profound influence on his everyday life and work.


The man behind the lens: Damanti taking a selfie with his new friends.

“In 2015 I was an outsider in this country, trying to learn the language and find work. A chance encounter soon changed that, forming the beginnings of a long-term photographic series about Romani population in Europe, he told The Local.

“Walking home one day from another disappointing day of cliche photos, I came across a Roma Girl sleeping on the ground holding an old change cup. Her name was Sibella. I knelt down to take her photograph and as I stood up I noticed another Roma-girl walking right towards me saying, “What are you doing? That is my sister!” That was the day I met the “Cobadin-Girls of Sol”.

“Over the next four years I met with them every day, carefully documenting their story and gradually becoming absorbed into their lives. We have been through births, deaths, arrests, fights and the day to day struggles we all endure.”

What he has produced is a remarkable set of photographs of a group of people who are at best invisible to society and at worst, the frequent targets of abuse.

At first, he approached them with handmade signs with witty slogans, such as 'freewifi' and '#Brexit: Keep calm and give me money' to replace the ineffectual ones they had written themselves.

“This was the way into their lives, I noticed their signs were incredibly long (5-6 lines) and 100 percent trite and boring.  No one was reading them. So I offerend alternatives, lighthearted signs with quick simple messages in English for the tourists. This began the friendship.”

But it soon developed into a deeper friendship, one in which they invited him to dine with the family group as they cooked up stews in cardboard shelters under the roadside bridges where they sleep at night.

He even introduced them to the concept of birthday parties, after realising that for the most part, they didn’t even know how old they were, let alone celebrate the occasion.

“I happened to ask one of the girls when her birthday was and she didn't know.  I couldn't believe it so I asked all of them….. one by one they each shook their heads and asked me why it mattered to know that,” he explained.  

“I read their ID's and realized one of the girl's birthdays was in a week.  So I bought a cupcake and a candle and introduced them to the concept of birthday parties.  They had no idea what to do. I lit the candle, sang happy birthday and then stood their as they all stared at me.  

“I had to tell the girls to blow out the candle. Little by little they embraced the birthday ritual and now they all want a party on their special day.”

What has consistently surprised him is the level of racism they endure on a daily basis.

“Some men make sexual advances on the girls. That's the worst. I've seen old women spit at them.  I've seen shop owners throw drinks in a pregnant girl's face just for begging near his shop. But the one that stands out most was the black eye on Sevda's face given to her by two drunk teenagers as she slept under a bridge while seven month's pregnant,” he recounts.  

“The nastiest comments always come from elderly people or football fans.”

But sometimes he has witnessed people showing them kindness too. “However, there are a fair share of delightful gestures and comments from others.  People bring them clothes and food or buy them ice cream.  That’s a breath of fresh air.”

As a result, Damanti has become an advocate for Romani rights, and will be talking about the issue at an event organised by Madrid For Refugees.

“Originally I got involved simply to take an interesting photograph but it has taken on a life of its own. I expected to photograph the people in Sol, but I did not expect to like them so much.   So I'd like to help them if I can… be that bringing awareness to their marginalized existance or just bringing them clothes. But most importantly, treating them as friends and giving them the same respect I would to you or anyone else.”

To see more of Michael Damanti's photographs visit his website and for tickets for the Madrid For Refugees event on Saturday February 22 click HERE.

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