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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 5-Sep-2010
5-Sep-10 News -- Thousands protest Gypsy expulsions from France

Web Log - September, 2010

5-Sep-10 News -- Thousands protest Gypsy expulsions from France

New Mideast peace talks scheduled for September 14 in Cairo

Tens of thousands protest in France over Roma Gypsy expulsion policy

Tens of thousands, led by "left-leaning political parties and human rights organizations," protested in 130 cities across France on Saturday, according to the LA Times.

They were protesting the policy of French president Nicholas Sarkozy in dismantling refugee camps and deporting Roma Gypsies back to their home countries, usually Bulgaria or Romania.

One protestor, of Algerian origin, said, "It's always the same people who are stigmatized He is saying that immigration is linked to crime, but there are immigrants who work, and are educated, like me. We feel so French.... They don't like us, and to them we'll never be French."

According to France24, French trade unions plan a week of protests. Widespread disruption is planned for Tuesday, in everything from schools and public transport to telecommunications.

However, many of these are less about the Roma Gypsies, and more about the planned pension reforms, and other austerity measures.

Despite these protests, polls show that a majority of the French people support Sarkozy in the deportations.

I wanted to get a better feel for what's going on, and so I'm printing a selection of reader comments to an opinion article in the Independent that was supportive of the deportation policy. I apologize in advance that most of comments are "anti-Roma," but I'm particularly interested in getting a feeling for the reasons given by people who object to the Roma Gypsies.

As regular web site readers know, I use the word "xenophobia" in these situations, where there is a visceral fear of or animosity towards people, based solely on a demographic factor like ethnicity.

Here in America, we have two examples of this kind of xenophobia, Latinos and Muslims, and the causes are widely debated. So let's see some of the reasons that French people give about the Roma Gypsies:

"I am moved to tears of frustration by the interest generated by Sarkozy's expelling of a camp of [Roma Gypsies]. Of course, EU rules allow that sort of thing, for member states are entitled to rid themselves of threats to public order and security, albeit that the offenders are citizens of EU countries. But please consider the position of EU member states that have very large Gipsy populations and suffer from concomitantly large volumes of Gipsy crime. Hungary is one such EU member state, and Romania and Slovakia two others. Especially in rural eastern Hungary, a very poorly policed area, recidivist Gipsy criminals terrorise local communities, including the law-abiding members of Gipsy communities, with physical assault that does not always stop short of murder, aggravated robbery, and theft of agricultural products and equipment. Yet condemnation of Hungarian 'racism' (in the usual terms: nazi; fascist) roars in the international press at any proposal for containing the Gipsy crime problem."

"My only personal experience was when I found one last year sleeping in the rear seat of my motor car! How the devil he got in baffled me, I called the police and even they could not work out how he got in, the alarm was in perfect working order, and there were no signs of forced entry! As it turned out, he was an illegal alien with a criminal record of violence and theft, boy, was I glad I called the police instead of confronting him. I felt sorry for the guy, but, you know what offended me most, the stench of an unwashed body that lingered in the car for days?"

"If only you could give these people fertile land to farm and feed themselves. Well you could, but they will sell the land and then settle back near big towns. They need us. Believe me, they are industrious by nature, but in crime and begging. You cannot eat out in Milan without them begging at your table, turn around and your bags are gone. They train children to pickpocket and bag snatch knowing that until the age of fourteen they cannot be prosecuted, and by the time they are fourteen they are so good at it that they do not get caught. In Milan there are three Sunday markets where you can repurchase your stolen property, but only if you know which one. There you meet smiling Roma women offering what they have stolen from apartment balconies or their children have lifted from passers by. The police remain a sensible distance away."

"I approached some Roma not too long ago to thank them for all they have done for Europe and to apologise for having the nerve to call myself European when it is THEY who know more about Europe than I ever will, being as they are such an interesting community and I a mere Philistine. Strange though, they didn't speak any of the three European languages I had learned so instead they introduced me to their fascinating way of life by pinching my TV and defecating in the local park. Oh well, I'll keep being grateful anyway."

"This is a disgusting article advocating collective punishment on the basis of race."

All of these comments (except the last one) are extremely negative toward the Roma, and indicate that a very serious problem is developing in Europe. However the current political dispute in France turns out, the Roma Gypsy situation is going to continue to be a serious problem in Europe.

Additional links

Some politicians are declaring victory already in the Mideast peace talks, since the talks didn't collapse on the first day, and a new meeting is scheduled for September 14 in Cairo. The real critical day will be September 26, when the Israeli moratorium on building settlements ends. Haaretz

Many of the recent suicide bombings in Pakistan have been directed at Shia Muslim targets. These attacks from Sunni terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ), are intended to send a message that Iran is also the target. In many ways, the mutual hostility of Sunnis and Shias in Pakistan is increasing. This is consistent with the Generational Dynamics prediction of a major war between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Eurasia Review

India is becoming increasingly nervous about the presence of 7,000 Chinese working in Kashmir to build a highway linking western China to the port it is building in Pakistan, on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Guardian

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 5-Sep-10 News -- Thousands protest Gypsy expulsions from France thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (5-Sep-2010) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 5-Sep-2010 5-Sep-10 News -- Thousands protest Gypsy expulsions from France

Tens of thousands protest in France over Roma Gypsy expulsion policy

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 5-Sep-2010
5-Sep-10 News -- Thousands protest Gypsy expulsions from France