European Union justice commissioner Viviane Reding wants legal action taken against France for its treatment of its Roma community.She says France's deportation of its Roma, or Gypsies,are similar to injustices committed during World War II.
Frances president Nicolas Sarkozy has said Roma camps are links to crimes like prostitution and child exploitation and has deported 1000 gypsies back to Romania and Bulgaria .
She's personally been appalled by a situation where people are being removed from a member state of the European Union just because they belong to an ethnic minority," she said.
"This is not a minor offence. After 11 years of experience in the commission, I even go further: this is a disgrace."Ms Reding says the European Commission has no choice but to start legal proceedings.
Gypsy in Spain
Gypsies Tramps and Thieves
Roma or gypsy
If any one single aspect of their history has been dominant, it must, unfortunately, be that of their persecution, forced assimilation, enslavement, and yes, even genocide carried out against them by the Nazi's. Estimates are that roughly 600,000 Roma were exterminated by the Nazi's, roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of their numbers in all of Europe. Even in Europe in the 1400's they were confused with muslim invaders from the east. Laws were enacted against them everywhere they went. The history of the response of the countries in which they have lived has been uniformly one of rejection, mistrust, fear,and banishment.
Vardos
It is the Vardos that reminds me of the Gypsies and my mum had one on her mantlepiece for years. That's an ornamental one.When I was doing my blog on Cohen's song Suzanne there was an article that contained the story of Suzanne Verdal and her son, building one to live in on the banks of the St Lawrence River. Then looking for my behind the news story I came across France's discrimatory actions against these people so I chose it as my behind the news story.
Gypsy Dance and Music
The Flamenco
Caravan Of Love
House martins