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The latestpublic enemy:

Romanian Roma in ItalyNando Sigona

postmaster@osservazione.org

Paper presented at the Council of Europe ExpertCommittee on Roma, Sinti and Travellers

Strasbourg , 8 Nov 2007

Contents:

Moral panic and racist attacks: abackground

The role of media and political parties

Camps and forced evictions

Crime, prison and stereotyping

Latest development and possible futures

Some conclusions

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Moral panic

Molotov bombs and violent attacks againstcamps and their inhabitants (the latest episodewas the same day the emergency decree waspublished)

Extreme rightwing groups organising rallies anddemos

Media hysteria (use of impressionistic andstereotypical images)

Politicians searching for electoral gains zerotolerance etc.

Short term measures to temporary remove theproblem extreme municipalism

Statements reported in the media in the

last week:

Death penalty for the bastard (banner outsideRegina Coeli prison where the Romaniancitizen suspected for the murder of Mrs Reggianiis in custody

It is clear that there is no control on the territory,we should deploy the army

The leftwing government is responsible for theinvasion of Italy by millions of people

If the government doesnt get rid of the camps,we will do it ourselves! [Forza Nuova]

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Political participation and media

representation of Roma and Sinti

Key role of the Gypsy problemin local elections

Nomad camps and petty crimedominate the debate

No initiative to support Romapolitical participation

Distorted (and negative)representation of Roma and

Sinti in the media No Romani voice in the media

Political participation and mediarepresentation of Roma and Sinti

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Political participation and media

representation of Roma and Sinti

Between Jan 07 and Sept07 the Municipality ofRome evicted 5.241people from illegalsettlements, most of them

Romanian Roma (Source:Rome city council).

880 have beenreaccommodated in thevillages of solidarietybuilt in isolated areasoutside Romes mainringroad.

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Forced eviction as a short term solution

Crime, prisons and stereotypes

On 11 August 2007, four Romanian Romani children agedbetween 4 and 10 died in a fire that burned down for reasonas yet unknown the hut where they were temporarily livingwith their parents in Livorno, following their forced evictionfrom Pisa in May 2007. The parents are currently indetention [!] charged with abandonment of minor and parental

negligence. The magistrates are still investigating the causesof the fire including the allegation that it was caused by aanti-Gypsy fire bomb attack.

According to a judge (Governatori, 2000), stereotypes canhave an influence on the judges decisions in different stagesof the trial, both as a parameter for the evaluation ofcircumstances and through the principle that all Roma act inthe same way, for example, that all Roma mothers exploittheir children for begging.

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Some conclusions

Mobilise international attention / Europeanization ofthe issue [pros and cons]

Closely monitor the implementation of theemergency decree

Actively promote a better image of Roma [Dosta-likeinitiative]

Monitor media representation of Roma and, ifnecessary, intervene

Sharpen the legal instruments to fight both directand indirect discrimination in Italy

Inclusion of Roma and Sinti in the list ofnational/linguistic minorities

Actively promote Roma political participation