10th Dec | THEN THEY CAME FOR THE GYPSIES

[Mark Barrett]

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 ----- Forwarded Message ----
*From:* Roma Virtual Network <romale at zahav.net.il>
*To:* Roma_Daily_News at yahoogroups.com
*Cc:* Dale Farm <dale.farm at btinternet.com>
*Sent:* Friday, 23 October, 2009 14:50:39
*Subject:* [British Roma] UK: THEN THEY CAME FOR THE GYPSIES





*Ustiben report *

*UK: THEN THEY CAME FOR THE GYPSIES *

*By Grattan Puxon*

The appearance of neo-facist leader Nick Griffin on a popular BBC panel
programme this week has caused outraged protest by those who fear
extreme-right wing policies are becoming acceptable in today's would-be
police-state Britain.

But if the British National Party with its million votes is moving into the
mainstream, its just as frightening that once middle-ground politicians are
willing to court favour with the neo-fascists by assuming a brownshirt
colouring.

Romanies and Travellers may have been in Britain half a millennium or more,
yet are still not accepted by a middle -England majority. Those who continue
to follow a nomadic life -style get it in the neck everyday due to
institutional racism locked into our bureaucracy and police forces.

We're seeing it happen in Italy and Hungary, now we'll see it happening
here. Twenty miles from the Mother of Parliaments, by the lorry-full and
Landrover, with bulldozer and crane - stop them if you dare! - they're
coming for the Gypsies.

On UN Human Rights Day 10 December, Basildon's Tory chief will formally lead
his cabinet in voting to give a two million pound contract to a bunch of
hard-hat bullyboys to oust hundreds of Travellers from his district. It will
be the ugliest yet act of ethnic-cleansing by a British local authority
against an outpost of Europe's nascent Roma nation.

Certainly the 4,000 Basildon voters who backed the British National Party at
the last election will be pleased to have what in effect must be an
endorsement of their bigoted anti-Gypsy attitudes. Something for the BNP’s
two MEPs to boast about it in the European Parliament.

SOCIAL EXCLUSION

A dirty, neo-fascist wave, a tsunami of social exclusion is to break over
the peaceful Dale Farm community, smashing up lives and drowning the hopes
of another generation of Traveller children, presently attending local
schools.

No matter that the impotent UK Children's Commissioner says it shouldn't
happen, and boo to the goose that is the Commission for Equality and Human
Rights. The CEHR has let itself be used in the charade which Basildon
council calls its court-mandated engagement talks with Dale Farm residents.

Sorry, that should read resident; only one attended this week's hole-in-the
corner meeting with hard-nosed get 'em shifted project leader Dawn French.

The incessant message of these talks, now labelled pointless by a Gypsy
Council representative, is that hundreds of Dale Farm residents must abandon
their homes and land and, voluntarily, wander forth along Britain's
rage-ridden roads - where you can't even light a fire nowadays without
attracting a fine.

Oh, Basildon may have been told by the UK Government to provide alternative
land for the Dale Farm community. Obligatory under the Housing Act.

Only Tony Ball interprets that as a mere request and stands sturdily by his
eviction policy, believing the brutal back lane happenings will be quickly
covered over by next May's expected Tory election landslide.

In bright new British Cameronland it won’t matter what happened to the
Gypsies.

However, there is every sign that Dale Farm is fighting back. The rape of
human rights is not something mothers here will take lying down. They are
organizing a mass rally outside the Basildon Centre on Human Rights Day, an
event they intend will be worthy of that universal anniversary.

They are also seeking to address a last appeal to the cabinet meeting at
7.30 pm that evening.

"We hope," says Mary Sheridan, recently back from Germany, from where 14,000
Roma are being forcibly repatriated to Kosovo, "that those upset by the
sight of the BNP on television will be moved to join us in trying to stop
fascist talk becoming brownshirt action."

Can blatant racism be halted? Basildon is the next battleground. Meanwhile,
Dale Farm residents and supporters have received death-threats, several of
which have been reported to Essex police, it was revealed at a Human Rights
Day planning meeting last evening attended by former Mayor of London aid
Atma Singh.

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JOIN THE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY RALLY !!

 10 December

St Martin's Square, Basildon

Transport for supporters: contact

dale.farm at btinterne t.com <dale.farm at btinternet.com>

APPEAL FOR FUNDS

Veerendra Rishi, director of the Indian Institute of Romani Studies, has
started an appeal fund for this event with a one  hundred pound donation.

Please send what you can by cheque to:

Dale Farm Housing Association

1 John Harper Street

Colchester C01 1RP

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-- 
"We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is there no
man speaketh as we speak in the street.”
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