Gypsy camps: the facts and fiction

Friday, February 27, 2009, 06:45

KEITH ROSSITER talks to council experts Pete Aley, Bronwyn Prosser and Dave Taylor along with Cabinet member Peter Brookshaw to get their perspective on Travellers and the city’s plan for Gypsy camps.

Why should we pay for a Gypsy and Traveller camp? These people do not pay taxes and expect us to pick up the tab for cleaning up after them.

Like everyone else, Gypsies and Travellers have to pay council tax, rent and other bills. They also pay income tax on earnings. This includes those who stop on authorised local authority transit sites.

Why do we need several camps? Couldn't you just put them all in the same place – preferably out of Plymouth?

There is a legal requirement for each area to provide a certain number of pitches. We can't offload ours on the South Hams, for example. Too many people on one site can lead to tensions on the site and with the neighbours.
Who are the groups who come here?

We don't get many New Age Travellers. They tend to find a spot, usually in the countryside, and stay there. Plymouth gets mostly Irish Travellers and Romany Gypsies. We also have showpeople, who have lived at Efford Fort for many years.

What is the difference between the different groups?

A range with distinct backgrounds, cultures and traditions are recognised under race relations legislation. They include Roma, Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers, and travelling show people, including circus folk.

Some people say that the genuine Roma are all right; it's some of the other groups that cause problems.

They've all got their own cultures and traditions, but it's too simplistic to say one group is better than another. In any community there are those who cause problems.

Is there any evidence of rising crime connected with Gypsies and Travellers?

There is no evidence for this locally. This is backed up by national research by the Joseph Rowntree Study which looked into three new sites in Scotland where the police reported no noticeable increase in crime nearby.
Perception and fear of crime are totally different from the reality.

Is there any evidence about the impact on house prices of having a permanent site near by?

We do not have any evidence of this. The Joseph Rowntree Study found that evidence on this was inconclusive.

How much will it cost to build these sites?

About £80,000 to £100,000 a pitch. Plymouth needs to provide an extra 40 residential and 15 transit pitches.

That's a lot of money. What will you get for it?

People have an image in their minds from seeing the unauthorised encampments, and they transfer that to the proper sites. We believe the new sites will change people's views. They will be as modern as a modern holiday camp. There will be hardstandings for caravans and cars, and an amenity block. The block will have a kitchen and small eating area, toilets and bathroom. There may also be a storage area for working equipment. The permanent sites may also have a playground and a grazing area for animals, plus a site office.

What will the Gypsies and Travellers get out of it?

They will have adequate accommodation and be able to avoid setting up unauthorised encampments. We will also be able to give them access to other services such as health and education.

What size are the groups who come to Plymouth?

Most encampments are four to five caravans, and usually they have children with them.

How will the travelling people use our sites?

A family might have a permanent site as a base, then go travelling for a few months of the year. Those with small children will tend to stay put for longer.

The Government is forcing this on us and the Tories are refusing to fight it, or at least trying to hold out until the next General Election. Would it be possible to delay?

Delay will only store up problems and risks. This is not just about Government requirements – it's about long term-solutions. We have significant numbers of unauthorised encampments. We need to think about everyone – local residents, Gypsies and Travellers and those who put up with unauthorised encampments. Whatever political party is in control, the housing need will not go away and nor will the issue of unauthorised encampments. Delay also means we could lose the opportunity to bid for government funding – and have sites imposed on us.

What will happen if Plymouth defies the Government and refuses to build these camps?

The Secretary of State has the power to order us to do it. If we don't, the courts can make unauthorised encampments permanent. This happened last year in West Yorkshire.

Efford people say that the old Gypsy site there was abused and wrecked. Will it be different this time?

We are keen to involve local residents and Gypsies and Travellers in the design of the Efford site so we can minimise the risks. Experience from other areas show that well-managed sites are not problematic and different to the sort of unauthorised encampments that have caused so many problems in Plymouth. See www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/ findings/housing/H201.asp for more information.

I've heard that the Government is offering money right through to 2011 to build sites. Why are we rushing into it?

The money is announced year on year, with a separate pot each year. It is extremely likely that demand will grow and if we don't get a bid in now, we are likely to get less money.

The existing permanent site at The Ride has been in a shocking state, with uncontrolled dogs barking at passers-by. How will a new site be different?
The interior of the site and accommodation is well maintained and clean. This is not readily visible to passers-by. We recognise that there have been some issues about the area around the site. This is partly due to the design and the nearness to the old rubbish tip. Noise nuisance can be a problem for all communities and there are formal channels for reporting and dealing with it.

Some people say you haven't done enough consultation over using land at Efford Warren and that the site is contaminated.

The Efford plans have been in the public domain for more than a year. According to our survey the land is not contaminated. However, we'll do more investigation before we put in a bid.

Senior Plymouth Tory attacks 'war' on Gypsy camp

Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 20:18A

LEADING city Conservative has attacked Labour councillors for declaring "war" on plans to build a Gypsy camp.

As reported in The Herald on Tuesday, Andy Kerswell, Labour councillor for Efford and Lipson, vowed to fight after the council voted on Monday to go ahead with consultation over designs for a Gypsy and Traveller site off Military Road, Efford.

"It's war," Mr Kerswell told The Herald.

But a leading Conservative has now hit back at Labour's tough stance, questioning why Labour leader Tudor Evans was not at the emergency Gyspy meeting on Monday.

Cabinet member Dr David Salter said: "After Cllr Kerswell's outburst on the front page of The Herald, I'd ask: What sort of 'war' is it when the general doesn't even turn up for the fight?

Answer: one where Tudor Evans realises he is fighting his own Government."

The Government has ordered councils to provide permanent sites.

Mr Evans said later that he was out of the county, working for the Improvement and Development Agency.

"I couldn't change my plans because the meeting was called at such short notice," Mr Evans said.

Mr Kerswell threatened to take the fight to the courts after Labour councillors walked out of an emergency council meeting, claiming it had been called in violation of the council's own rules.

They later pledged their support in the battle to stop the council building Gypsy and Traveller camps at any of the three sites identified by the council.

Dr Salter said the Labour group was ignoring the independent legal advice of the city council's chief legal officer, David Shepperd, who ruled that the meeting was legal.

Meanwhile, the council has published a new timetable for people to have their say on plans for Gypsy Traveller sites. It has been drawn up after this week's controversial debate.

The council is revising the dates for public consultation on Efford.
Consultation on using land at Coombe Farm, Mowhay Road, St Budeaux, and at the Imerys works at Coypool will now take place from March 31 to May 12.

The original consultation period was due to start on February 23 but was delayed when the decision to consult the public, made by Plymouth City Council's Cabinet, was challenged by Labour councillors.

Members of the council's Overview and Scrutiny Commission voted earlier this month to allow the consultation to go ahead.

Cllr Peter Brookshaw, the Cabinet member for Safer and Stronger Communities, Housing and Supporting People and Community Cohesion, said: "This is a chance for everyone to have their say. We welcome all comments as long as they're not racist or abusive and we'd like to hear from anyone with ideas for suitable sites which we may not have considered so far."

The consultation will include displays, officers on hand to answer questions and feedback forms.

Coypool site consultation:
Thursday April 2, 9am to 1pm: Coypool Park and Ride.
Thursday April 2, 1.30pm to 6pm: Sainsbury's car park, Marsh Mills.
Monday April 20, 5pm to 8pm: Novotel, Marsh Mills.

St Budeaux site consultation:
Friday April 24, 10am to 4pm: Kitto Centre, Honicknowle Lane.
Tuesday April 28, 5pm to 8pm: Tamarside School.

There will be displays with comment forms at St Budeaux Library and at the temporary library in the former Jobcentre at the Ridgeway in Plympton throughout the six-week consultation.

Maps and information are available on the council's website: www.plymouth.gov.uk/gypsyandtravellerssitesldf.htm

Gypsy turn for Palm Court

By Lexi Bainas, The Citizen
February 25, 2009

It's time for a Gypsy Carnival, cry the musical enthusiasts that make up the Palm Court Light Orchestra.

British violinist Marianne Olyver leads the Orchestra Sunday, March 8 in an exuberant, fun-filled concert of gypsy music including Brahms's Hungarian Dances, Monti's Csárdás, the Tango Jealousy and selections from Fiddler on the Roof. Get out your dancing shoes!

Olyver has a wonderful warm personality and is one heck of a fiddle player, says Palm Court founder Charles Job.

"Back in the UK, Marianne studied with one of my violin heroes, Alfredo Campoli. As a youngster I can well remember attending a Campoli concert. The Kreisler encores went on forever. Marianne will lead the Orchestra from the violin in the tradition of Albert Sandler, Max Jaffa, Reginald Leopold and, in more modern times, André Rieu.

Showtime is 2 p.m. Tickets are $26 for adults, $14 for students. Get them at the Cowichan Ticket Centre or call 250-748-PLAY to reserve.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

Giving and taking away

Phil Chamberlain The Guardian, Wednesday 25 February 2009

Travellers' rights champion recognised for forthright campaigning faces a battle of her own over eviction from her home

Bridgette Jones will be at Buckingham Palace next month to collect an MBE for service to her community.

A week later she will be at the high court hoping that her home outside Canterbury will not be taken from her.

"They give you a medal with one hand and they try and take your home away with the other," she says.

Jones, known to everyone as Bridie, has championed Traveller rights for the last 15 years. During that time she says that overt racism against Gypsies and Travellers may have diminished in the UK but discrimination still exists - nowhere more so than in planning regulations. Since 2001 she has been fighting to stay on the plot of land that she, her son, daughter and seven grandchildren call home.

"It has been seven long and depressing years," she says. "We have been given planning permission by the county council and by two inspectors but some villagers have set up a group to stop us and they keep appealing. It is very aggravating. You have children born and bred on that land."

Through her work with the Canterbury Gypsy Traveller Support Group, Jones gets a lot of calls from Travellers about similar planning problems.

"In some cases it is just ethnic cleansing," she claims. "In Basildon the council is spending £3m on bailiffs to evict Travellers from a site. There are 300 children on that site and some are sick and some are dying. We're supposed to be in a credit crunch and yet they spend all this money to put people off their own land."

Jones began volunteering back in 1992, working with young people in Kent. She found then that ethnic minority children didn't access traditional youth services so she tried to open up the services to the whole community.

"I've always tried to break down barriers and build bridges," she says. "When I get a phone call now I try to make sure they get the right services and go to the right people. It's about bringing people around a table and discussing problems."

When Jones got the letter in the post back in October with the royal motif on it, asking if she would accept an MBE she thought it was a joke. A follow-up letter inviting her to the palace in March was met by "complete out-and-out shock".

Jones has been to Downing Street to petition for Traveller rights on several occasions, but she just plans on enjoying this trip. She is saving her energy for the high court battle.

"People get very angry when they see what is happening in Italy with [Roma]Gypsies," she says , "but I don't think people know that it [discrimination] is on their own doorstep."

Geckos nursery becomes profitable business for gypsies

KARACHI: The worsening economy and the environmental degradation have forced several gypsy tribes of Sindh to leave their ancestral profession and move on to more profitable occupations.

These gypsies have been settled in the outskirts of the city for centuries and have started capturing snakes, lizards, geckos and other reptiles in order to earn their livelihood, thus, posing threats to the wildlife of the province.

A hatching nursery of leopard geckos with around 10,000 reptiles is being run in a small gypsy colony in Safora Goth, Gadap town. Though the gypsies running such nurseries have been living in the area for several years, when this scribe asked about their colony, no one was even aware of their existence.

Finally, we managed to find the place. It couldn’t be called a colony; sandwiched between the cemented walls of bungalows from three sides and opening on to the road, the small settlement seemed more like a zoo with many makeshift huts where dogs, donkeys and cocks were tied to the legs of charpais.

After arguing for over half an hour, Muhammad Juman, 36, agreed to take us inside the ‘zoo’. Every hut in this small congested settlement opened into the other. In the first hut, a donkey tied to a charpai welcomed us.

The nursery was a large straw roofed hut located in a corner of the settlement where wooden boxes covered with an iron net were kept. The legs of the boxes were resting in earthen bowls filled with water so that ants could not climb into the box.

Juman’s six-year-old son proudly opened the lid of a box to show us the reptiles. The boxes were filled with sand, cloth or dry grass and when most of the boxes were opened, small reptiles started crawling out.

The reptiles were geckos, scientifically known as the Eubleparis macularius and locally known as Hann Khann in Sindh and Cheeta Chhupkali in Urdu. They are also called leopard geckos as the color and designs on their body resembles that of a leopard.

Umer Jogi, the tribe chief said that his tribe had once been experts in snake charming. “We carried snakes in the cities where we played Murli or ben (a traditional musical instrument made of pumpkin mostly used by Jogis). The snakes danced on our music and that is how we earned or livelihood but after the economic crisis, people didn’t pay much to see our show and we couldn’t capture many snakes as the environmental degradation lessened their number. So most of the community members switched to this new profession of capturing these reptiles,” he said.

Juman said that though geckos are very poisonous, his community members are trained to catch them. He said that they sell these geckos to a contractor who then sells them to a laboratory in Islamabad where anti-snake venom (ASV) is manufactured. He revealed that they sell one gecko for Rs 50 that is later sold to the laboratory for Rs 80. In the nursery, Juman feeds small insects to these geckos and a female gecko lays two eggs each fortnight; the hatchling can reach normal size in four months. Answering a question, Juman said that keeping such dangerous reptiles at home is a big challenge but as he has nothing else to do and is an expert on reptiles he can’t switch to another profession.

Two die in attack on gypsy family

Published Date: 24 February 2009

A FATHER and his five-year-old son were shot dead in an attack on a Roma home in Hungary yesterday.

Two children were also injured when the house caught fire, local news MTI reported. The attack took place in Tatarszentgyorgy, 40 miles south-east of Budapest.

The full article contains 54 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.

Last Updated: 23 February 2009 11:39 PM
Source: The Scotsman
Location: Edinburgh

Saunders Settles Down to Spar for Gypsy Kith and Kin

Billy Joe Saunders is determined to make a success of his professional boxing career to help highlight the plight of Romany Gypsies

A dark patch of sweat spreads across the back of Billy Joe Saunders's grey T-shirt in a derelict warehouse in Canning Town. Tucked away in a corner of a bleak industrial estate, with the flatlands of east London stretched out around us, the new boxing home for the teenage Romany Gypsy fighter is still a strange and draining place. Unlike the arcane world of amateur boxing, which increasingly resembles fencing more than fighting, with bouts being decided by ­scoring as political as it is arbitrary, the professional gym deals in raw hurt.

Between the ropes, and stalked by a determined African journeyman, ­Saunders's breathing falls hard and fast as he prepares for his professional debut in Birmingham on Saturday night. Alongside his fellow amateur stars, James DeGale and Frankie Gavin, Saunders will fight on a Frank Warren bill which should mark the start of an intriguing era for British boxing. DeGale will flash his Olympic gold medal and Gavin can point to the amateur world title he won, but Saunders brings the most ­evocative story to the ring.

As the 19-year-old endures a punishing training regime his father, Tom, talks softly about their Romany Gypsy heritage. In his understated way, he describes the persecution of the Roma under the Nazis and explains how draconian legislation shackles their misunderstood tradition in Britain today. Beyond the harsh sounds of sparring, Tom's hope, that his youngest son may help change ­perceptions of their community, resounds.

"I'd like to do that," the fighter himself says an hour later as he strips off his ­sodden shirt and protective headgear. "When most people hear we're Travelers they think: 'Gypsy! Trouble!' It ain't nice. Don't get me wrong, there are bad people among Travelers, but you can't tar everyone with the same brush. Look at my dad, or my great-grandad. They're proud and decent and if I can help people understand that I'll be doing a good job."

Absolom Beeny, Saunders's great-grandfather, used to make a living through ­bare-knuckle fighting at fairgrounds the Romany Gypsies set up at sites around England more than 70 years ago. "He was a champion, my old great-grandad," Saunders says, grinning, "and you can still see that today. We never had birth certificates in them days so no one's sure of his exact age. He says he's 96 but he might be a year or two older. He still goes drinking in different pubs around Hertfordshire and they all know him."

Saunders winks as he draws a link with old Absolom's recipe for a long life. "I haven't had a fight since the Beijing ­Olympics – except for down the pub," he quips. "My last fight was on 14 August, when I lost to the Cuban [Carlos Banteaux Suarez]. That's why I'm still shaking off the ring rust."

Some boxing experts believe that, starting his career at light-middleweight against Hungary's Attila Molnar , Saunders will eventually emerge as the most successful of the trio Warren has plucked from the British Olympic team. With his sharp punching and slick ringcraft, ­Saunders had already proved himself by the time he arrived in Beijing. He had won his first 49 bouts and also outpointed ­Suarez six months earlier.

"I had the beating of him in Beijing," Saunders insists. "But it's not good when you land 10 shots and you go back to your corner and see that none of them have counted and you're four points down. But best of luck to the Cuban. He won the silver." Saunders remains convinced that he would have won gold at the London 2012 Olympics – had his amateur career not been derailed by controversy soon after losing to Suarez. An unnamed source fed the Daily Mail a story that Saunders could be seen on a YouTube clip acting in an "obscene and lewd" manner towards a Frenchwoman.

"Believe it or not," Saunders snorts, "this meant the ABA [Amateur Boxing Association] pushed a future Olympic champion, me, out of 2012. Even if people say you can't be sure, I would have been a banker for gold. They really fucked themselves because I was thinking hard about staying for London, getting my glory, and only then turning pro. But they shafted me so they could get Terry Edwards."

As the plain-speaking coach of the British team, Edwards had many foes in the ABA. "They wanted Terry out," Saunders says. "They were jealous of him. So they blew up this YouTube thing to get at him. Terry went mad when he learnt the truth and saw there was no scandal. But at first he was mad with me. You could have sworn blind I'd murdered someone. I didn't know what he was talking about. It took me ages to work out he was talking about this joke we'd had in France months before."

The mysterious YouTube clip has been seen by very few people, and it has since been removed, which means that Saunders has to protest his innocence. "Nothing bad happened. This French lady was cleaning our hotel room and we were joking together. She was ­having a laugh with us, her and a few of her colleagues."

What were they laughing about? "I was just learning her English," Saunders says.It does not take much imagination to guess the kind of crude English words an excitable young boxer might claim to be teaching an older Frenchwoman, but Saunders suggests: "She was a lovely lady with a sense of humor. She would laugh this thing off if anyone asked her, I promise you. But someone twisted it and I got suspended for lewd behaviour. I couldn't believe it, but it was a blessing in disguise. It made me turn pro."

Saunders argues that he will bring a new responsibility to his professional work. "It's not about me no more. It's about my little boy's future."

Billy Joe Jr is 19 months old and his father reveals, bashfully, that another baby is due in May. "I call it my Beijing baby because it happened as soon as I got home from the Olympics. The little 'un is going to have a brother."

His former girlfriend, Ruby, is the mother of both, but Saunders, hinting at the chaos of a teenager's love-life, shifts awkwardly and mumbles, "Well, yeah, but I'm single now. It's a long old story but she's a lovely girl and very understanding. The important thing is I've got a ­little boy, and another on the way, and I don't want them on the streets in later life. I don't want them getting stabbed or any of that shit. I want them to lead a good and decent life."

Saunders laughs grimly when asked what might have happened to him had he not been such a gifted boxer. "I would probably have ended up in prison. I've had mates stabbed and shot and ending up on a life-support machine. I've had two close friends in prison – one for eight years and one for five – and both tell me to keep my head down and not make the same mistakes as them."

His elder brother, Tom, has also passed down lessons forged through ­bitter experience and tragedy. "Tom is a very talented boxer and he was on the same British team as Amir Khan. He was all set to go to the 2004 Olympics but he lost his way a little and got fed up with boxing. But something worse happened. Tom lost his baby boy when it was born [2007]. That knocked him badly. My own baby was due just a few weeks later. I was really worried but thankfully it was OK. And Tom now has a beautiful little daughter. So he's recovering and he's fighting again as a pro in April. But it made me understand ­nothing is certain."

There had been another poignant moment earlier that afternoon when Saunders' father had suggested that, for Romany Gypsies, "living in a home without wheels is the same as birds being kept in a cage". Yet, for Saunders, his new parental responsibilities mean he will "work hard, get some serious money and hopefully move into property".

He nods when reminded of his father's birdcage analogy. "I know. But we ain't allowed to travel these days. I've been at the same [Travelers'] site in Hatfield 13 years now. So he understands why I want to invest in property. All my advisers are telling me to do it, and they're smart blokes."

So could he become the first Romany Gypsy turned property developer – especially now that he has ordered himself a new Mercedes as a reward for turning professional? "I hope so," he laughs. "I remember Mike Tyson and the hundreds of millions he lost. Where did his money go? You have to be sensible and hold on to it. But that don't mean I'm giving up my Romany roots. They made me and my whole family. From the little 'un, my baby boy, to my dad and all the way back to my old great-grandad, I just want to make them proud of me."

Tickets for Billy Joe Saunders' debut are available on 0844 338 8000 or www.theticketfactory.com

Councillors vow: "We'll stop Gypsy sites"

Monday, February 23, 2009, 21:12

ANGER at plans to create a new permanent Gypsy camp in Plymouth boiled over last night as Labour councillors vowed: 'It's war'.

The city's Labour group called on residents to fight the council 'in the highest court in the land' over plans to build a Gypsy site at Efford Warren.
And they pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with residents in Plympton and St Budeaux, where the council is also proposing to put permanent Gypsy and traveller camps.

Furious Labour councillors walked out of an emergency meeting yesterday, claiming that the way it had been called broke council rules.

Andy Kerswell, pictured right, Labour councillor for Efford and Lipson, told The Herald: "It's war. I would go to the extent of saying it's war.

"We are prepared to take this battle to the courts. We are in discussions with residents of Woodford and St Budeaux to have a joint legal approach. Woodford residents have already collected £3,500 towards their legal costs."

Addressing a small crowd of Efford protesters outside the Civic Centre after the meeting, Chris Pattison, Labour councillor for Ham, said: "We are absolutely going to stop the sites at Woodford [Plympton] and St Budeaux."
The city council called yesterday's emergency meeting after the Labour group challenged a decision to begin consultation over the design of the Efford site.

Conservative councillors said a decision was needed urgently because there was a Government deadline of the end of June to bid for funding.
After the Labour group walked out, Conservative councillors voted unanimously to go ahead with consultation.

Outside the Council House, Mr Pattison disputed the need for urgency. He said there were two more funding periods when the council could put in bids: next year and 2011.

"We didn't rush to find a site when we were in power because there was no deadline," he said.

"Anyway, it shouldn't always be about whether this council should get its money from somebody else."

Mr Pattison urged residents not to let it rest, and to "take the campaign forward".

He called for a meeting of all three areas that face having a Gypsy site to "get together and if necessary challenge it in the highest court in the land".
He said: "What is not going to work is foisting a site on any area where there is going to be antagonism from day one."

Mr Kerswell said he would present the results of a survey he carried out to the Government within the next ten days.

Vivien Pengelly, the council leader, said later: "I am relieved we can now press ahead with our plans to bid for more than £1.5 million of Government money to cover the cost of establishing a well run, official Gypsy and Traveller site.

"There is only one ring-fenced pot of money for the South West and if we don't get a share of it then it will go to other councils.

"The Government has the power to force sites on us. If we don't get our bid in, then local taxpayers could end up footing the bill."

Ted Fry, the deputy leader of the council, said: "There is an obligation on every local authority in the country to provide appropriate numbers of sites for Gypsies and Travellers.

"In Plymouth there has been a shortfall that has to be corrected."

Ian Bowyer, Cabinet member for Budget and Finance, said: "The Labour group's action would result in long-winded debates and needless bureaucracy at great expense to the city. Efford councillors had more than 12 months to wake up to these issues but it seems they were slumbering in their beds."

He said that cleaning up after unauthorised encampments cost the city about £160,000 a year.

Some Efford residents sitting in the public gallery during the meeting expressed their anger with the council's decision.

"We have to live with them and we don't want them," Pam Andrews shouted as councillors left the chamber. "They're not coming to Efford."
Around 50 members of 16 families of Showmen live at Efford Fort, next to the planned Gypsy site.

John Lock, a committee member and trustee of the Western section of the Showmen's Guild, said he had a meeting last Spring with council officers about the site.

"They told us about their plans for a Gypsy and Traveller site in Efford," Mr Lock said. He said that a previous Gypsy site in Efford, which closed in 1975, had caused "ill feelings and social unrest".

Paul Chuwen, a resident at Efford Fort and a member of the Showmen's Guild, said: "It came down to violent confrontation."

Mr Chuwen said it was "disgusting" that council officers visited the Gypsies at The Ride, Chelson Meadow, but did not visit members of the Showmen's Guild at Efford Fort.

"Instead of creating a number of small sites, why don't they just put all the Gypsies on one big site."

See Friday's edition of The Herald for Gypsy myth-buster special feature.

Extremist group calls for gypsy expulsions

An extreme right-wing organisation has taken to the streets of Rome calling for the expulsion of the entire Roma or gypsy population from Italy.

But there has been little public support for the Forza Nuova group which is pressing for the end of the Schengen agreement which allows passport- free travel in much of the EU.

Protest organiser Roberto Fiore said: “This is a situation that requires political will. We want to suspend the Schengen agreement, which is one of the main reasons for the disaster and we want to start all the expulsions of the gypsies and at the same time we think that all the people who have committed crimes in Italy. They should be sent back to their own countries.”

A series of sex attacks in Italy is being blamed on foreigners living in the country and three rapes last weekend triggered a media frenzy and a diplomatic row with Romania.

Italy’s conservative government rushed through a law toughening penalties for sex offenders and permitting neighbourhood citizen patrols.

The President of the Association of Romanians Living in Italy says the patrols should include Romanians.

Roma bear brunt of Hungary downturn

By Thomas Escritt in Miskolc, Hungary

Published: February 20 2009 02:00 Last updated: February 20 2009 02:00

When night falls in Hetes, a gypsy settlement on the edge of the northern Hungarian town of Ózd, the men take to the streets and mount a guard, arming themselves with all kinds of makeshift weapons, from clubs to kitchen knives.

"We're up all night," said Henrik Radics, his hands resting on a scythe. "If a car comes in, we stop it and find out what they're doing. If they're peaceful we let them go."

Mr Radics and his companions took matters into their own hands after a spate of incidents that culminated in a house being set ablaze and plans by Magyar Garda, a rightwing uniformed group that claims to protect ethnic Hungarians from "gypsy crime", to hold a recruitment rally in the city.

Ózd is typical of the towns of Borsod county: once a proud industrial centre with a giant steel plant, it has struggled since the fall of communism in 1989, with no employers emerging to create jobs on the scale of defunct socialist-era heavy industries.

But the economic downturn in central and eastern Europe has added new urgency to a problem of marginalisation that goes back decades. Surveys show Hungarians, like many of their neighbours in the region, nurture strong feelings of prejudice against gypsies. That means Roma stand to be hit first and hardest by rising unemployment, which stands at 14 per cent in Borsod county, with its high gypsy population, twice the national level. With the government's own forecasts predicting that the economy will contract by 2.7 per cent this year, unemployment is set to rise sharply.

"The matter has reached critical mass," said Peter Hack, a criminologist. "With the economic downturn, the traditional scapegoat hunt has happened. Since there are no immigrants in Hungary, the Roma are the target."

Zsolt Farkas, a gypsy in Miskolc, Hungary's third largest city and the county's capital, speaks for many when he says work is becoming impossible to find.

"I worked on an assembly line at Bosch, and then I installed shutters in houses, but now it's impossible to find a job. When . . . they see I'm a gypsy, they're no longer interested."

Last month the Movement for a Better Hungary, a far-right party, won 8 per cent in a district election in Budapest after campaigning on a slogan of "gypsy crime". Last week Albert Pasztor, police chief in Miskolc, attracted opprobrium and praise in equal measure when he told a press conference that "all the muggings" on a Miskolc council estate over the past two months had been committed by gypsies, adding: "Hungarian and gypsy culture can't live together." He was suspended on the orders of the justice minister but reinstated less than 24 hours later after a chorus of protest from senior police officers, a cross-party show of support from the city's local government and a 1,000-strong rally well attended by skinheads.

This week the gypsy panic reached hysteria when three professional handball players from Croatia, Romania and Serbia were stabbed in a nightclub, allegedly by a 30-strong gang of gypsies, in the western city of Vesz-prem. The Romanian, Marian Cozma, a rising star, died from his wounds.

In the wake of the murder, Ferenc Gyurcsany, the soc-ial-ist prime minister, promised to "act decisively" against violence, and the rightwing opposition party said the government's focus should be on catching criminals. "The number of serious crimes committed by people of gypsy origin is rising at an alarming pace," it said.

Janos Ladanyi, a -sociol-ogist, says that gypsies, deprived first by resettlement programmes in the 1970s of their traditional itinerant lifestyle and then by the deindustrialisation of the 1990s of the low-skilled jobs on which they depended, have turned to crime, both petty and organised.

"We now have a population that's lived completely outside society for 20 years. Every so often, somebody calls for a quick, simplistic solution, which leads to an outbreak of gypsy-related panic, except this time the economic crisis makes it more serious," he said.

This excluded group, which makes up six per cent of Hungary's population, is also the fastest growing.

"If we can't integrate them into the labour force, then the long-term stability of the fiscal system is in question," said Gordon Bajnai, the economics minister. A package of €2bn ($2.5bn, £1.8bn) to be ploughed into the construction industry is part of the answer, he says, creating the kind of low-skilled jobs this population needs.

Woodland Cemetery

Propeller
Nick Iannarino - Propeller Editor
February 20, 2009

Beyond the Romanesque chapel and wrought-iron gateway which rest at the end of Woodland Avenue like a deserted fortress breathes a hidden trove of history, nature, art and architecture.

Founded in 1841, Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is 200 acres of green hills, glacial boulders and floral oasis which would easily remind visitors of the eternal beauty of life if, well, they weren't surrounded by dead people. Over 105,000 to be exact.

Before rushing to prepare UD for a massive zombie invasion, take a second to consider the educational value and serenity a place like this can provide. Many of the people buried at Woodland helped shape a young nation and a developing community.

Some were inventors and entrepreneurs like James Ritty, owner of the Pony House Saloon & Restaurant and creator of the first "incorruptible cash register." Others were combat veterans and government officials like Major David Zeigler, who fought in the Revolutionary and early Indian wars and served as the first mayor of Cincinnati. Still more created modern name brands like Huffy Bikes (George Huffman) and Mead Paper Company (Daniel Mead). Even a handful, like Daniel C. Cooper, actually founded this fair city.

Among the cemetery's 3,000 woody plants are 165 types of trees, some of which are over 200 years old. Nine of the largest trees of their species in Ohio reside here as well.

"This place is so special because of the historical value it provides

to the Dayton community," Woodland Customer Service Manager Debra Mescher said. "It would be tough to find a more beautiful, peaceful area of the city."

The next time a funeral procession passes by, perhaps led by a horse-drawn hearse or hundreds of members of the Dayton Outlaws motorcycle gang, know that a new chapter's being added to the legend of a silent community.
Top 5 Graves of Fame

1. The Little Boy & Dog Johnny Morehouse (1855-1860)

One of the more sentimental monuments at Woodland is dedicated to the memory of a cobbler's 5-year-old son who drowned in a canal. It's rumored that the boy's dog also perished while trying to rescue him. The detailed sculpture portrays a sleeping child being protected by his canine friend. Also visible are little Johnny's toy top, ball, mouth harp and cap. Current visitors still decorate the monument with plastic toys fit for a little boy - racecars and action figures of The Incredible Hulk, Mr. Incredible and SpongeBob Squarepants. For almost 150 years, this heartfelt monument has symbolized the brief life of Johnny Morehouse, provided comfort to grieving parents and served as a cautionary tale to children.

2. The Boulder Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)

It might be difficult for first-time visitors to locate the UD alum and famed humorist's final resting place. Situated across from the Mausoleum and behind a sculpture of the Wright Brothers' workbench, Bombeck's lot has no traditional headstone markings. Instead, a distinctly foreign 29,000 pound rock was chosen as a unique monument for her grave. Bombeck's renowned books and nationally-syndicated newspaper column often analyzed suburban life with a comedic bent. Her family is still active in the UD community.

3. The Gypsy Queen Queen Matilda Stanley (1878)

One of the coolest aspects of Woodland's extensive history was its importance to local Gypsy clans. Gypsies were a group of nomads whose ancestors are said to have originated in Eastern Europe. Guided by King Owen Stanley and his wife, Queen Harriet, many large Gypsy camps, most of English ancestry, prospered as agriculturalists in the Dayton community during the mid- to late-1800s and early-1900s. Because Owen and Harriet were eventually buried in Woodland, common practice suggested that the Gypsies always bring their deceased to Dayton for burial, no matter where their deaths occurred.

When a later queen, Matilda, was mourned in 1878, an international audience of 25,000 converged upon Woodland. Allegedly, 1,000 additional carriages were turned away at the gate. So many people gathered around the gravesite that the minister had to deliver his sermon while standing on a wooden plank resting across the open grave.

Woodland houses a total of three Gypsy kings and two queens. As a result, the cemetery is one of the few places in the U.S. proclaimed by Gypsy tribes to be hallowed ground.

4. The Weeping Willow Paul Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906)

The son of former slaves, Dunbar overcame poverty and racial barriers to become one of the first and most beloved black poets in American history. Growing up in Dayton, Dunbar was the only black student in his graduating class at Central High School. His measured use of Southern Negro dialect to convey everyday life in verse is still studied and deeply appreciated. Taking a cue from Dunbar's famous poem "The Death Song," his grave - marked with a granite boulder and bronze plaque cast by Tiffany Studios in New York - is flanked by a weeping willow tree.

The opening stanzas are etched onto the plaque:

Lay me down beneaf de willers in de grass,

Whah de branch'll go a-singin' as it pass

An' w'en I's a-layin' low,

I kin heah it as it go

Singin' "Sleep, my honey, tek yo' res' at las."

5. The First In Flight Wilbur and Orville Wright (1867-1912, 1871-1948)

The Wright family gravesite is marked by a modest platform which rests beneath three flags representing America, Ohio and the 100-year anniversary of the birth of aviation. A thin stone path borders a rectangular dirt plot sprinkled with small plants and headstones. Wilbur and Orville's mother, father and younger sister Katherine are buried along with them.

Other note-worthy graves

The Seated Man, Adam Schantz Jr. (1868-1921)

Real estate developer and community leader. The famous sculpture also represents his father (1839-1903), a brewer and for many years the largest holder of real estate in the city - most of it downtown and in Oakwood. Also developed land in Daytona, Fla.

The McMillan Angel, Asa McMillan (1797-1855)

Famously beautiful Italian marble angel standing before a large granite cross. The book is blank to signify a new beginning in death.

The Ultimate Obelisk, John Alexander Collins

Woodland is littered with obelisks - tall, tapered, four-sided shafts of stone whose pyramid tops point toward Heaven. shape was used in ancient Egypt and during the 19th century to mark the grave of a hero or important person. Collins was an engineer who built the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad, which eventually became part of the famed Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The granite figure is the tallest monument in Woodland at 46 feet.

The Patterson Family Arch

Granite monument dedicated to the Patterson family, whose names are etched along the inside. John H. Patterson (1844-1922), the grandson of a Revolutionary War veteran, founded National Cash Register (NCR) in 1884. During the devastating floods of 1913, Patterson's company served as the focal point for rescue teams and built boats for victims.

James M. Cox (1870-1957)

Founded Dayton Daily News, along with other newspapers and television and radio stations. Served three terms as governor of Ohio. With Franklin Dd. Roosevelt as his running mate, he campaigned against Warren Harding for U.S. President in 1920, but lost in a landslide. His concession speech took place at Dayton Fairgrounds.

Charles F. Kettering (1876-1958)

Famous inventor of the electric automobile self-starter and ignition system, which replaced unsafe and inconvenient manual cranks. Kettering also developed other inventions and improvements for General Motors, founded Dayton Engineering Laboratories (DELCO) with friend and fellow Woodland resident Edward Deeds (1874-1960) and was a noted philanthropist. His remains are located in the Mausoleum.

Dr. Joseph E. Lowes (1848-1905)

Former Surgeon General of Ohio and founder of Dayton Electric Light Company. Built and owned many traction and trolley lines throughout the state of and Dayton.

Harry C. Kiefaber (1852-1928)

Vice President of Dayton's Savings Bank and Director of Dayton Power & Light Company. Along with his brother, William, opened a popular grocery store on Third Street.

Robert W. Steele (1819-1891)

Lawyer and educator who inspired name of Steele High School. Large lion sculpture which currently guards entrance of Dayton Art Institute originally stood in front of school until razed in 1955.

Over 600 Civil War and 18 Revolutionary War veterans

Woodland features an entire section devoted to Union and Confederate soldiers. The Civil War deeply divided the Dayton community. Many poor laborers and farmers actually switched sides along the way for extra enlistment bonuses and better pay.

Athletes

At least one Harlem Globetrotter ("Slick" Al Tucker Sr.), NBA professional ("Twiggy" Tucker Jr.), legendary UD basketball coach (Tom Blackburn) and an early pioneer of auto racing (Earl "The Little Dayton Demon" Kiser).

Gypsy and Traveller sites to double

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 By Clara Story

North west England will have to more than double the number of sites it provides for Gypsies and Travellers under a new draft policy for the region.


The forum for local authority leaders from the region, 4NW, has begun consulting on the plan, which would compel north west councils to find another 1,250 permanent and 270 temporary pitches by 2016, on top of the 950 sites that existed in 2007.

The new draft policy, part of 4NW’s partial review of regional strategy the North West Plan, is open for wide consultation until 18 March and the final version will be submitted to central government in July.

Michael Gallagher, 4NW’s director of planning, transport and housing, said there was ‘widespread support’ for a more strategic distribution of sites – placing them according to need rather than a simple formula for each council.

He added there was an ‘urgent need’ for more suitable accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers to provide better quality of life and access to services from legal pitches.

He said: ‘It is very important to address the issue. It is part of the homelessness agenda, and why should one section of the community not have somewhere to live?’

Gypsy movie shown in Fremont Saturday

Feb 18, 2009

FREMONT — The second film of a four-part Foreign Film Series will show 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Dogwood Center in Fremont.

"The Crazy Stranger," directed by Tony Gatlif, spins a story of a wandering hero and includes scene after scene of Gypsy music, dance, and the carefree and spirited zest for life that permeates the Romany culture. Filmed in the Romany language, with English subtitles, this 97-minute film contains adult content and language.

Tickets are $7.50 per person, which includes the Apres Film social gathering in the Dogwood lobby after the film. Tickets are available from the Dogwood box office or at the door.

‘Gypsy crime’ versus ‘political crime’

Written by Jan Mainka, Publisher

Monday, 16 February 2009

The Veszprém murder made it clear that protection rackets remain a problem in Hungary. Secondly, and more emphatically, it demonstrated that relations between ethnic Hungarians and their fellow Gypsy citizens are at breaking point.

In public debate this social tension has overshadowed the real motive for the crime – namely extorting protection money. Enraged citizens were less worked up about the state’s inability to protect its citizens from the crime than the fact that the Veszprém knife killers were “once again” Gypsies. The focus was less on their terrible act of murder, than on the climax of an escalating ethnic conflict.

“Gypsy crime” was denounced, rather than inadequate public safety. The murderers of the Veszprém handball idol Marian Cozma and their relatives earned the hatred and the thirst for revenge of the majority of society, not only because of their crime, but also because they are Gypsies. All the pent-up frustration of highly problematic daily interaction seemed suddenly to find an outlet with the new martyr figure of Cozma. The prominence and widespread popularity of the victim, as well as the brutality of the crime caused the floodgates to open. The fronts in Hungarian society have rarely been so clearly personified. On one side there was the good-hearted sportsman who came to the aid of a restaurant employee in trouble, and on the other side the three ruthless killers whose faces the whole country has now seen. In view of this clear division of roles, regard for political correctness was abandoned and the public expression of anger became uninhibited.

Political correctness

Anyone daring to make mention of racism or ethnic prejudice in the current charged atmosphere is also guilty! Carried along by the wave of anger, politicians of all colours who generally take an evasive approach, particularly in the case of the Gypsy question, have now turned their attentions to this taboo topic more conspicuously than at any other time. After all it must gradually be dawning on them that Hungary is sitting on an ethnic powder keg that could explode at any time. Again we can see how little has been done in the two decades since the change of regime to put an end to this smouldering conflict. It is increasingly clear that the billion-forint social transfers of the past years have had barely any effect, and may even have exacerbated the issue. Not to mention the ridiculous attempt to solve the Gypsy problem by using the neutral term Roma when the Gypsies in Hungary describe themselves as Gypsies. It is surely no consolation for the relatives and friends of Cozma that he was stabbed to death not by invidious Gypsies, but by Roma citizens. In any case, if the problem is not tackled at its roots, then the term “Roma” will soon also be on track for political incorrectness.

In dubio pro reo

The term “Gypsy crime” that is increasingly used in populist and fundamentalist circles similarly ignores the crux of the problem. Even in the case of statistically proven correlations between skin colour and crime rates, we should be wary of making such unfounded generalisations in the heat of the moment. Regardless of the fact that this form of prejudgement cannot be reconciled with the principles of a state based on the rule of law, this term is misleading and tendentious. Verbally it turns a more-or-less probable correlation into a certainty. It suggests that there are only two types of Gypsies: criminals and future criminals – which, fortunately, is not the case.

Speaking sweepingly of “Gypsy crime” is just as misplaced as speaking of “political crime”, instead of referring to the suspected crimes of a certain János Zuschlag or György Hunvald, to mention the two most prominent cases of the past week. Even the fact that purely statistically there is more talk of politicians in connection with corruption and embezzlement than, for example, teachers or postal officers, does not give us the right to prejudge them.

The comparison with politicians throws light on a surprising parallel: the lax handling of state funds has contributed to both groups becoming problem groups. Access to tax money was and is made too easy for these groups, whether we are speaking of social benefits in the first case, or subsidies (Zuschlag) and revenues from the sale of state assets (Hunvald) in the second case. It is said that opportunity makes a thief. In the case of the two problem groups, this consists of too easy, opaque and inadequately monitored access to funds. Members of the underclass – not only those of Gypsy origin – continue to receive excessively generous direct and indirect social benefits without sufficient controls or requirements to do anything in return (for example ensuring that children attend school or carrying out community work).

In this way, such citizens are kept quiet, but are given no preparation for playing a successful part in the labour market. Their peripheral position in society is further cemented by this form of help. Likewise, through too easy access to state funds and positions, politicians lose their motivation to improve their material situation primarily through exemplary service to their country. Expecting this situation to change itself is just as naive as waiting for a cat that until now has been comfortably fed on pet food to suddenly turn from a cuddly toy into a proper mouse hunter.

The fundamental problem is that at the expense of society a standard of living has been put in reach of both groups that is higher than can be justified by their actual contributions to society. What was morally dubious in times of reasonably sound state finances, now simply cannot be financed any more. The state can as little afford to indiscriminately throw around social benefits, as it can to satisfy all officials on the take.

The gradual reduction of funds to both groups will lead to unwanted, but unsurprising side effects. The underclass which is comparatively lacking in motivation to work and training will increasingly try to compensate for the reduction in social support in other ways, and will do so not only by entering into employment relations on the labour market which in any case is shrinking. The possibility of violent protests, similar to those of a few years ago in Slovakia, cannot be excluded. In the case of politicians the drying up of illegal additional income sources will probably result in even stronger negative selection. Increasingly incapable politicians will have to struggle with even bigger problems. There is little that a few idealists can do to change that.

Rome to dismantle illegal camps

BBC News

The authorities in Rome have begun dismantling illegal camps amid an outcry over three rapes last weekend that have been blamed on immigrants.

Mayor Gianni Alemanno supervised the demolition of about 30 camps, home to many Roma, or Gypsies, from Romania.

A 14-year-old girl was raped in a park in the capital on Saturday, allegedly by two men from Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, a government minister has said surgical castration might be the best option for those who raped minors.

"In some cases, I don't believe that rehabilitation is possible," Roberto Calderoli, the minister without portfolio for legislative simplification, told the newspaper La Stampa.

"I think that chemical castration may be insufficient and that surgical castration is the only option left," he added. "Society has to protect itself."

Vigilantes

The call by Mr Calderoli, a leading member of the anti-immigrant Northern League party, comes as the government prepares new measures aimed at dealing with both crime and illegal immigrants.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, his party colleague, said it would push through an emergency decree this week speeding up legislation aimed at creating "groups of unnamed citizens" in high-risk areas, who would "assist the police by bringing to their attention events which might be damaging to urban security".


The decree would also ban magistrates from releasing into house arrest those accused of crimes involving sexual violence, he said.

Critics say the measures could effectively legitimise vigilantism and xenophobia.

The Vatican has warned against anything that turns innocent foreigners into convenient scapegoats.

Police say a mob of around 20 masked men beat up four Romanians outside a kebab restaurant in Rome on Sunday in an apparent vigilante attack.

Crackdown

Investigators believe the violence is a response to a series of sex attacks in recent weeks, including the rape of the girl in Rome's Caffarella Park on Saturday.

Also at the weekend, a 21-year-old Bolivian woman was raped in Milan by a man described as North African, while in Bologna, a Tunisian who had just been released from prison was re-arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl.

While visiting Caffarella Park on Sunday, Rome's mayor said rapists had to know they would face "a definitive sentence" and that all illegal gypsy camps in the city would be dismantled.

A bill going through parliament includes a provision calling for a census of homeless people to be entered into a database held by the interior ministry. Doctors would also be allowed to report illegal immigrants to the authorities, something which is currently banned.

Thousands protest gov't boycott of conservative daily

By Hungary Around the Clock

Over 2,000 people demonstrated on Friday afternoon against Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's call to cut off state advertising in and subscriptions to Magyar Hírlap over a commentary that referred to the Roma killers of Romanian handball player Marian Cozma as "murderous animals".

Addressing the gathering outside the Prime Minister's Office on Kossuth tér, Magyar Hírlap owner Gábor Széles called Gyurcsány incompetent as prime minister and said he will go down in history as having caused more damage than 1950s dictator Mátyás Rákosi. Széles accused Gyurcsány of ruining the economy, the countryside and health care and of pushing Roma into misery.

Farkas Flórián, representing Roma group Lungo Drom, said the newspaper comments were not offensive to Gypsies and that Gyurcsány, by hiding behind Gypsies, had violated freedom of the press and expression by calling for a boycott of Magyar Hírlap.

Editor István Stefka said Gyurcsány intended to shut his newspaper's mouth. Lawyer Krisztina Morvai, MEP candidate for the far right Jobbik party, called Gyurcsány "an insane Nero" whose action had again united people.

Zsolt Bayer, author of the commentary, said Gypsies have been called by that name for 700 years and this must remain so as "they are our friends". At the same time those who attack teachers, as well as murderers, robbers and thieves who happen to be Gypsies should also be called by that name, he said.

Government spokesman Dávid Daróczi told reporters elsewhere that the call for a boycott was the right decision, as it was borne out by the tone set by those addressing the rally, and the way they spoke about the state of public affairs.

Roma leader blames politicians for anti-Gypsy sentiments

By MTI

The head of Hungary's National Roma Self-Government (OCO) blamed parties in parliament for the anti-Roma sentiments experienced lately in Hungary at a press conference held in Budapest on Thursday.

Orban Kolompar was speaking in response to a debate in the press over the past few months about the existence of "Gypsy crime" or whether the ethnic background of criminals should be noted in connection with crime. The issue flared up again when suspects of the stabbing of international handball players last weekend were said to be part of or associated with a gang of Roma criminals.

Police have not found evidence for this connection, but they did take testimonies from witnesses and former gang associates which suggested a link.

The government has disassociated itself from the use of the term "Gypsy crime" and for membership of an ethnic minority to be singled out in crime statistics.

Kolompar said parties have been noncommittal about the problems of the Roma and were partly responsible for a collective blame for crimes on the Roma community. He added that they have done nothing to help the Roma create a credible political representation for dealing with important economic and social problems among their community.

Kolompar called on the Roma to think about how they see the next ten years for themselves.

He said the remarks by opposition leader Viktor Orban on Wednesday regarding Roma and crime were unfortunate.

Orban said there was no "Gypsy crime" but there were criminals that belong to the Roma minority and the serious crimes committed by Roma was on the rise, which cannot be ignored.

Kolompar asked the help of the media in "creating a normal human atmosphere which focuses primarily on the person, not political interests."

He said parties should support a Roma programme, to be designed by OCO, which would help bring about peace in society. He added that there were plans for a three-way agreement between the OCO, police and the National Association of Civil Self-Defence to train 3,000 Roma and non-Roma civil self-defence personnel as well as social workers to help improve communication among citizens.

City chief defends his stance on gypsy debate

Thursday, February 12, 2009, 07:00

COUNCIL officers will not attend public meetings called to debate Gypsy and Traveller campsites because of the need to avoid "adversarial settings", councillors have been told.

In a letter sent on the eve of today's controversial council meeting about Gypsy and Traveller campsites, chief executive Barry Keel defends himself against allegations made last week that he is trying to stifle debate.

The council's Cabinet has approved work to prepare a bid for Government money for a Gypsy and Traveller site at Efford Warren after consultation last year on whether the site was suitable.

Cabinet members also agreed to start consultation on using land at Coypool and at Coombe Farm, St Budeaux for Gypsy sites.

Both decisions have been challenged and were to be scrutinised at a special meeting in the council chamber at 1.30pm today.

Keel wrote to councillors this week saying: "I wrote to all councillors on February 5 to advise them of the need to carry out consultation on ... proposals for the allocation of Gypsy and Traveller sites....

"There has been some concern expressed that my letter implies that we are stifling comment on this very important matter. This could not be further from the truth. The city council has set, and been recognised for, its very high standards around community engagement on planning matters. The consultation programme has been designed to avoid adversarial settings which mitigate against balanced communication of the issues....

"It is in this context, and in accordance with national advice and best practice, that I have advised that officers do not propose to attend public meetings or area committees as part of the consultation programme."
Plympton councillors and Gary Streeter, the Conservative MP for South West Devon, are planning to hold a public meeting later this month.

Mr Keel first wrote to councillors last week telling them that they could not call special area committee meetings to discuss Gypsy sites, and that council officers would not be sent to any meetings called to debate the subject.

Tory councillor Peter Brookshaw, the city's Cabinet member for Communities, Housing and Supporting People, said that in recent years about 20 unauthorised camps a year have cost Plymouth an average of £6,500 each to deal with.

He said Plymouth had a statutory duty to provide pitches for Gypsies and Travellers.

Labour group leader Tudor Evans said the council has used out-of-date maps when proposing to use land at Coypool for a camp. A housing estate built to the south of the proposed site within the past two years is not shown on the maps used by the council.

Meanwhile, Mr Keel's letter spells out a programme of consultation that will be followed if councillors do not give the process the thumbs down at today's meeting. This will include:

Staffed exhibitions close to the proposed sites at:
Coypool park and ride.
Sainsbury's Marsh Mills.
Tamarside School conference room.
Kitto Centre, Honicknowle.
Novotel, Marsh Mills.

An additional exhibition at Efford Library consulting on site design. There will be four members of staff at each of these events.

Local libraries will have copies of the consultation document and feedback forms which can also be picked up from the Civic Centre. Interested persons can also ask to speak to an officer if they come into the Civic Centre.

A specific event to discuss the sites will be held with the Gypsy and Traveller community.

Children to learn traveller songs in 'gypsy' village

Traveller songs will be taught to children in a village which is home to one of Britain's biggest gypsy camps.

Last Updated: 1:05AM GMT 12 Feb 2009

Youngsters in Cottenham, Cambs., will be taught Romany music by professional folk singers during a month of workshops - before performing in a concert in November.

The workshops are being funded by a £8,000 National Lottery 'Awards for All' grant, applied for by Cottenham's Fen Edge Community Association.

Cottenham became synonymous with conflict between travellers and villagers after the nearby Smithy Fen site mushroomed into one of the biggest camps in Britain in 2004.

Local residents have branded the idea for the concert insensitive, and said the money would be better spent elsewhere.

Jacqueline Smith, 49, a member of the settled community at Smithy Fen, who has campaigned against illegal traveller sites, said: "I find it strange there is going to be a concert in the village college when there are hardly any traveller students there at all.

"I am sure there are a lot of people around the village who would have appreciated that money for better causes.

"There are many more deserving people who could use £8,000."

Grandmother-of-four Joy Impey, who works in the village greengrocer's, said: "It is a bit insensitive considering everything that has gone on here.

"But I suppose they have to integrate and if you do not start with the children, where else would you start."

Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive at the TaxPayers' Alliance said the concert was a waste of resources at a time when schools and communities should be prudent with their spending.

He said: "This money would be better spent on teachers and text books.

"At a time when parents are feeling the pinch in credit crunch and the job market is ever more competitive, schools should be focusing on giving children the best possible formal education, not frittering away this funding on unnecessary extras."

Secondary school pupils from Cottenham Village College, and younger children from Cottenham, Waterbeach and Willingham Primary Schools will be taught for four half days each by two musicians from the East Anglian Music Trust.

The songs, which have not yet been selected, will contain heavy influence from Irish and Romany travelling communities who have both settled extensively across the Fens.

Amy Wornald, arts development manager for Fen Edge Community Association, said the folk songs were first brought to the area in 1915 by travellers seeking work in the fields.

She said: "The traveller community has been based in Cottenham for generations when they moved here to work.

"We are really keen to revive the songs that arrived here with travellers so they can be shared by the whole community.

"There has been a lot of tension over the years between the settled and travelling communities and I think it's really important that people share their heritage."

A spokesman for the National Lottery Awards for All fund said the Fen Edge Community Association has been awarded a grant of £8,010.

He said: "Groups can apply for grants between £300 and £10,000.

"If they meet the criteria and it is a good positive project they stand a very good chance of getting funding."

‘Time Bomb’ Ticks in Hungary as Roma Tension Rises (Update1)

By Zoltan Simon and Balazs Penz

Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Hungary is contending with rising resentment toward its Roma, or Gypsy, population as the economy sinks and unrest grows.

A police chief who last month blamed Roma for crime in his city was fired by the government, then reinstated after more than 1,000 people protested. Anti-Roma demonstrations also erupted in western Hungary last weekend after media reports that Roma men were responsible for the murder of a local athlete. A court in December banned a two-year-old uniformed nationalist group sworn to tackle what it called “Roma crime.”

As in other European countries, Hungary’s Roma live in the poorest areas and endure the highest rates of unemployment, said Janos Ladanyi, director for the Center of Social, Regional and Ethnic Conflicts in Budapest. Clashes will become more frequent as the economic crisis engulfs the region, unless the rule of law can be enforced, he said.

“This is a time bomb,” said Ladanyi. “I hope the alarming events of the past few weeks will make the sensible majority and especially the political elite recognize that we can’t go down this road. This road is a dead end. It leads to the Balkans.”

The government is trying to balance public resentment and the need for order. Justice Minister Tibor Draskovics on Feb. 8 ordered police to increase patrols and the cabinet the same day decided to direct extra funds to security forces.

Need to Act

“We have to act while we can, not wait until the prejudices and the urge to vigilantism distil into unmanageable social phenomena,” Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, 47, wrote on his Web site. “We have to act against violence most decisively.”

The opposition Fidesz party, which is leading the governing Socialist Party in opinion polls ahead of elections next year, said the government should focus more on catching criminals than on worrying about prejudice.

“We have to tell it like it is: the number of serious crimes committed by people of Gypsy origin is rising at an alarming pace,” Fidesz said in a statement yesterday. “We demand that the government, instead of finding excuses based on the origins of the perpetrators, find the perpetrators and protect the rights and interests of the victims.”

The situation isn’t helped by the decline of what was once eastern Europe’s economic dynamo.

Unemployment probably rose to 8.3 percent in January, the highest in at least 10 years, according a Bloomberg survey of economists. Official data is due on Feb. 27.

IMF Aid

Last year, the government was forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund to avert a debt default, and the economy is forecast to contract as much as 3 percent this year.

Marian Cozma, 26, a Romanian national handball player, was stabbed to death in front of a dance club in the town of Veszprem in western Hungary on Feb. 7. Two of the three suspects were detained in Austria late the next day, Hungarian police said in a Feb. 9 statement. The third is being sought.

“Everyone in the whole wide world knows that those murderous animals were Gypsies,” wrote columnist Zsolt Bayer in daily Magyar Hirlap. “A huge number of Gypsies have given up on coexistence and given up on their humanity.”

Gyurcsany ordered state institutions to cancel subscriptions to the daily, his office said in a statement yesterday.

‘Discrimination and Persecution’

Albert Pasztor, the police chief in Miskolc, claimed at a Jan. 30 press conference that all the December and January burglaries in the city of 180,000 were committed by Roma. Draskovics reinstated him after street protests from a crowd estimated at 1,500 by state-run MTI news agency.

With about 10 million people, the Roma have made up the European Union’s largest ethnic minority since the bloc started expanding eastward in 2004. The EU operates an integration program, with traineeships and funding for anti-discrimination groups, according to the European Commission’s Web Site.

“Roma communities in Europe have long faced discrimination and persecution,” the site said.

Rob Kushen, managing director of the European Roma Rights Center, blames the media and growing support for nationalist political parties for fueling hatred.

“What you have is a political climate that plays up ethnic tensions and attempts to demonize the Roma minority,” said Kushen, whose center is in Budapest. “That’s a serious concern. You create the climate for an increase in tension.”

Members of the nationalist group, Magyar Garda, wore 1930s- style uniforms and armbands. It was established in 2007 by the nationalist party Jobbik, which has organized a demonstration for Feb. 13 in Budapest to protest “Roma crime.”

Flag Wavers

During the past two years, members marched in Budapest and villages with a large Roma population under a red-and-white striped flag similar to one used by Hungary’s Nazi-allied government in World War II. The group was banned in December for inciting fear among minorities.

The biggest population of Roma in Europe is in Romania, estimated at as much as 2.5 million people, according to the Roma rights center.

The Roma in Hungary number 200,000 to 700,000, or 2 to 7 percent of Hungary’s 10 million people, Ladanyi said. While many don’t state their ethnicity in the census, about 40 percent are considered “permanently excluded” from society, he said.

“My concern is for the 15 percent or so of Roma who have managed to leave the shantytowns, who are trying to join the middle class but whose tentative grip may slip now during the economic crisis,” said Ladanyi.

To contact the reporters on this story: Zoltan Simon in Budapest at zsimon@bloomberg.net Balazs Penz in Budapest at bpenz@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: February 11, 2009 06:08 EST

Upgrade for Gypsy travellers site

BBC News

A site for Gypsies and other travellers visiting Stirling is to be upgraded with security doors and improved CCTV, Stirling Council has said.

About 19 chalets will be upgraded at the site in the western outskirts of the city at Bridgend.

Cladding will also be added to the chalets to improve heat and fuel efficiency.

The work will be done after the council received £93,000 from the Scottish Government.

The site, which also contains a meeting room, can accommodate up to 18 families at any one time.

Councillor Alasdair MacPherson said: "These site improvements will go some way towards improving the health, wellbeing and security of who choose to live in Stirling.

"Gypsy travellers remain marginalised and misunderstood, and prejudice against them is rife.

"As with most racism and bigotry, it can be reflected in official attitudes that continue to this day.

"The government grant will help us to address these issues and improve the services that we provide at Bridgend."

Lack of Gypsy sites fuels homelessness

Published by traceybignall for Race Equality Foundation in Housing , Local Government , Health
Thursday 5th February 2009 - 10:21am

A quarter of Britain’s estimated 300,000 Gypsies and Travellers have nowhere legal to park and are forced to live on unauthorised sites, or choose between camping by the roadside or moving into flats and houses. These unauthrised sites and roadside encampments often result in friction between local people and travelling communities. A newly published paper on Gypsy and Traveller accommodation notes that increasing resources are being diverted to policing and eviction, with two thirds of roadside travellers who’ve been surveyed saying they’ve been evicted at least thirty times in the past five years.

Ronny Flynn, Director of Health and Housing at the Race Equality Foundation says:

“Despite the fuss and alarmism from some quarters, we are only talking about homes for 5,000 families. This constitutes only one square mile of land.”

The paper says research has found that Gypsies and Travellers live in or pass through nine out of ten local authorities in England and Wales.

The report’s author, Dr Margaret Greenfields of Buckinghamshire New University, says:

“More legal sites would help break the cycle of tension between the settled and travelling communities and result in reduced enforcement costs as the number of unauthorised encampments decreases.”

The Gypsies, Travellers and Accommodation Better Housing briefing paper by Dr Margaret Greenfields, was launched at an event hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Traveller Law Reform in association with the Traveller Law Reform Project, and Irish Traveller Movement in Britain on Thursday 29 January 2009. The paper is produced by the Race Equality Foundation and is available by visiting the Foundation's website www.raceequalityfoundation.org.uk or by contacting Tracey Bignall on tracey@racefound.org.uk.

Italian police accused of aggression in gypsy camp sweep

By Guy Dinmore in Tor de Cenci, Italy
Published: February 4 2009 14:30 Last updated: February 4 2009 14:30

One moment Giorgio was returning from his morning job driving kids to school and the next, he says, he was forced by police to sit on the ground and sing “happy birthday” while security forces cordoned off and searched the camp where he and some 250 gypsies live on the edge of Rome.

Giorgio’s “punishment” – he said he was told to sit and sing “louder, louder” – was imposed after he had his arm twisted for questioning the police barring his way. An officer came later and admonished his “aggressive” deputy.

The operation at Tor De Cenci (Tower of Rags), a dormitory town just south of Rome, began on Monday and continued the next day as part of a wider sweep of gypsy camps around Rome.

Gypsies said they were told the operation was a “census”. They had their documents checked against a computerised list and their homes – built out of shipping containers – searched. About 10 men and women were taken away in a bus, with all but one later released.

Women complained of verbal abuse and said their children were terrified by the police dogs. They were angry that for about nine hours they were denied permission to leave the camp to buy food.

Police said they found a small amount of narcotics, some bullets and a stolen Porsche.

Similar operations have taken place at several gypsy camps around Rome over the past week.

Unusually, however, this time police are being joined by the army. The gypsies at Tor De Cenci - who all originate from former Yugoslavia - described the soldiers as “dressed like for war in Iraq”.

An army spokesman confirmed that units, possibly including Folgore paratroopers, had been deployed in support of police forces to help patrol and search “illegal” gypsy camps in Rome.

The centre-right government on Wednesday confirmed that the nationwide deployment last summer of 3,000 troops to help police “keep Italy safe” had been extended for another six months.

In Rome, which has 800 soldiers assigned, troops also guard embassies to free up police for other duties. In Naples – where a local politician was reported to have been shot dead on Tuesday by the Mafia - the army has been on patrol against organised crime and illegal immigrants.

Catholic volunteer aid workers say the operation this week at Tor De Cenci is aimed at “separating good from bad” among the gypsies, with the aim of establishing better living conditions for those allowed to remain, possibly in yet to be built “maxi-camps”. Some small illegal settlements have been destroyed.

Rome’s right-wing mayor, Gianni Alemanno, was elected last April on a promise to “expel” many gypsies who are widely blamed for spreading crime. Now he is active in trying to improve conditions at some camps and plans to build new ones. He has a budget of €23m.

It remains unclear exactly what criteria will be used to determine which gypsies can remain. Aid groups estimate that some 50,000 gypsies have arrived in recent years from Romania, adding to the 20,000 or so who had fled former Yugoslavia.

“Our government wants to remove some horrible camps and create new well-equipped settlements and fully integrate Romanian children into the school system, protecting them from all sorts of street crime,” one official said, quoting Roberto Maroni, interior minister.

Last week, Mr Alemanno reached an agreement with ex-Balkan gypsies from Casilino camp, which provided for the reconnection of water and electricity in exchange for cooperation when the time comes to move the camp. He also left open the possibility of allocating proper housing, which is what gypsy representatives ask for.

Municipal police are also drawing up pacts whereby gypsies will be allowed to stay in camps, but under monitoring that would include cameras, fences and regular patrols.

The issue of granting citizenship to children born in Italy still has not been resolved. One aid source said the National Alliance, a right-wing party in the ruling coalition, had wanted to include this in the recently passed security law. But it withdrew the clause before the vote, for fear of being accused of going soft.

Thomas Hammarberg, human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe who last month voiced his dismay at the appalling conditions in gypsy camps he visited, is urging Italian politicians to act carefully and not penalise a whole community because of a “few criminals”.

“They should rather stand up for human rights and respect for those who are different,” he said.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

Why Fidesz can't profit from "Gypsy crime"

By Erik D'Amato

Despite the bizarre idiosyncrasies of Hungary's electoral system, the country's electoral politics tend to follow the same rules governing other democracies. Chief among these is the importance of the "centrist" or "swing" voters who feel no strong attachment to either (or any) of the main parties vying for power. So it's always important to try to keep on top of what one famous American historian once dubbed "The Vital Center." And at least to me, Hungary's vital center seems to be increasingly preoccupied with two things: avoiding becoming as poor as Gypsies, and the Gypsies.

The news this week that some Roma/Gypsies are planning to set up a self-defense group akin to the right-wing Magyar Gárda has led even some perfect examples of Budapest cosmopolitism I know to shiver. One of the fears is that we could ultimately see a full-blown "race war" pitting uniformed right-wing paramilitaries against their Roma equivalents. (Thought the latter may not be wearing uniforms; one local journalist I know told me the leader of the "Roma Gárda" told his publication that "our skin in our uniform.") Another of the fears - at least among the sort of foreigner-friendly liberal Hungarians I inevitably spend a disproportional amount of time with - is that growing public concern/hysteria over the Roma will naturally play into the hands of the right come voting time, and add to the substantial "vote cushion" already enjoyed by Fidesz.

It is of course true that, if the issue of Gypsy crime (note that I am not putting it in scare quotes) continues to swell in the public consciousness, it will pull voters to the right.

At the same time, the "Gypsy issue" is very much a double-edged sword for Fidesz, and if not handled carefully, could hypothetically even cost the party its now seemingly guaranteed return to power.

The problem for Fidesz is that growing anti-Roma sentiment has the potential to squeeze the party from both sides. On the right it faces the surging Jobbik, which now looks set to easily breach 5% in the upcoming European Elections, and will greatly benefit in the subsequent general elections from the perception that Fidesz is a shoo-in. (In a tighter race, Jobbik supporters would be more likely to vote for Fidesz so as to avoid a return to power by the left.)

Meanwhile, on the left the party faces two problems. One is that the Socialists appear to have finally cottoned on to the potency of the issue, as was demonstrated this weekend when the government backed away from dismissing the police chief of Miskolc following some (very) impolitic remarks about crime and the Roma.

But the second threat on the left involves the one issue of much greater concern to most voters: the economy. Come 2010, it is likely that Hungary will be more rather than less dependent on outside sources (read: EU) of financing to keep the economy afloat. (By a strange coincidence/conspiracy, the enormous IMF facility the country received last fall runs out a month before the next scheduled general election.) And if Fidesz is perceived by the country's foreign paymasters to be an objectively "anti-Gypsy" party, there is a very real possibility that not only would the taps be turned off after the election, but that Brussels would make it clear before the election that this could happen. If you doubt this, recall that one of the reasons Fidesz lost its re-election bid in 2002 was the feeling among many centrist voters that a Socialist-led government would get the country better terms during the final run-up to EU accession. And if there is anything more terrifying to voters than not getting money you want, it's not getting money you have already come to rely on.

Gypsy site safety fears for young

Monday, February 02, 2009, 07:00

CHILDREN of gypsy and traveller families face serious health risks if they are to be housed on a former North Lincolnshire tip, protestors fear.

North Lincolnshire Council has proposed building a permanent gypsy and traveller site on land at Caistor Road, Barton-upon-Humber.
But the controversial scheme has met with stiff opposition from local residents, who maintain the site is unsuitable.

About 60 concerned townsfolk attended a consultation meeting at Barton's Assembly Rooms on Friday night.

And the speakers included Cleethorpes MP Shona McIsaac, whose constituency includes Barton.

Mrs McIsaac said: "This site has been a landfill site."

She said, because of its previous use, there could be hazardous materials in the ground and there was potentially a further danger from methane gas seeping through the soil.

"As far as I am aware, nobody has ever done any tests on that land to find out exactly what is in there. Nobody has done any proper chemical analysis," she said.

Bob Moore, one of organisers of the protest group and an industrial chemist, said there was evidence of methane gas permeating through the soil, which would still come to the surface even if the top was removed.

"It's explosive," he declared, adding exposure to the gas could also lead to brain damage.

Neither Coun Mick Grant, North Lincs Council cabinet member for housing and planning, nor any other members of the lead Labour group attended the meeting.

Coun Grant, however, later said: "The council is currently consulting on proposals for gypsy and traveller sites and I would urge people to have their say through the official channels.
"The council will consider all views before making any further decisions."

WHO urges Kosovo to close lead-contaminated camps

AP - Jan 31, 2009

PRISTINA, Kosovo: A World Health Organization official says Kosovo must close down lead-contaminated camps in the tiny Balkan country's industrial north where about 100 Gypsy families live.

WHO regional director Dorit Nitzan says tests have shown levels of lead contamination are "severe" though they are falling.

Nitzan said Saturday the area should be declared hazardous for humans, and its residents should be moved.

The makeshift camps are located near a smelter that is part of the Trepca mining complex in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica.

The Gypsies, also known as Roma, have lived in the camps since their homes were torched just after Kosovo's 1998-99 war with Serb troops. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia last year.