03.08.2010

SPANISH ROMANI UNION CALLS FOR A GREAT RROMANI DEMONSTRATION IN PARIS

(Translated from Spanish with a computer program)

 

It also proposes denouncing the anti-Rroma policy of the French government before the Community authorities and to initiate proceedings before the High Court of Justice in Luxembourg

 

From the UNION ROMANI of Spain we'd like to express our gratitude to all who have rallied in defense of the Rromani community resident in France. But we also want to express the need, in addition to statements, which are always good and absolutely necessary, to move on to other types of action, possibly more forceful and effective, to curb the many injustices and aggressions as we the Roma are suffering in almost all European countries.

From this perspective, the Union Romaní wishes to propose to the Roma associations that are most representative of European Union countries a series of actions both in the field of public activism as in the political and the judicial spheres. In this sense the following may be appropriate:

 

a) To convene peaceful assemblies before the French Embassies of the various EU countries, broadly representative of anti-racist movements in each country, aided by placards, flags and other signs of protest to express our deepest rejection of the initiative taken by the President of the French Republic, Mr. Sarkozy, to dismantle Romani settlements, in breach of France's own laws, European law and France's traditional commitment to defending human rights.

 

b) To convene a huge demonstration in Paris (similar to the one held in Rome in 2008 to protest against Berlusconi's anti-Rroma policy) to attract not only the massive presence of French Rroma, but much of the Rromani Europeans. The event, carefully prepared, should unite not only the European Rroma but all democratic forces committed to respecting human rights. In our view it would be a grave mistake for this demonstration to provide political capital solely to the political opposition to the Nicolas Sarkozy government. All Democrats are called upon in defense of human dignity, whether right or left wing. There is room for all of us at the Paris rally; Roma and gadzé, socialists and liberals, Communists and conservatives. All those, ultimately, who value the contents of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the United Nations in 1948 and the Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the National Constituent Assembly in 1789. Those there is no room for at the event are Jean Marie Le Pen or anyone who identifies with the nationalist and racist doctrines of the French National Front.

 

c) The most representative Romani associations should, in proper coordination, initiate all political activities protected under the Treaty of Lisbon. Thus all initiatives must be filed with the European Commission and European Parliament that empower the Commission to prevent the French Government from continuing its xenophobic and anti-Rroma policy and the European Parliament to declare its determination not to be complicit in the populist, demagogic and electioneering policies of the various European governments. The Spanish Romani Union is already working on initiatives in this regard.

 

d) Simultaneously, the most representative Romani associations should start legal proceedings for a complaint to the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg based on the content of the Charter of Fundamental Rights enshrined in the Treaty of Lisbon, which has been binding since the entry into force of the Treaty on December 1, 2009. The UNION ROMANI of Spain has already begun a study with a team of lawyers to denounce the actions carried out by the French government to exhaust all the legal possibilities allowed by the European legal system.

 

Finally, the Spanish Romani Union proposes that the European Commission urgently appoint a team of experts of which Rroma people of recognized prestige and reliability must be a part, to urgently propose the most appropriate measures for ending the announced mass deportations and avoid the risk of other governments adopting similar measures.

The Romani Union also asks that the French Rroma take the lead in this movement and immediately convene a meeting in Paris which should lead to a Coordinating Committee for the above-proposed measures.

 

Juan de Dios Ramírez-Heredia

President of the Spanish Romani Union

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