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France: Hysteria against Gypsies

01 January 1991

France: Hysteria against Gypsies
artdoc April=1993

Following an announcement by the mayor of Nanterre (a suburb to
the north of Paris) that 150 Gypsies residing there would be
`transferred' to Neuville-sur-Ain, 500 kms away in eastern
France, Neuville's residents launched a campaign so vociferous
that the mayor has been forced to abandon his plan.
Residents organised themselves into brigades and armed
themselves with clubs, knives and old tyres, and proclaimed
themselves prepared to do anything to stop the Gypsies coming to
town. The local mayor, Joseph Perrot, joined in the protests,
declaring on `France 2 TV' that `We have to block the roads and
warn other towns' in order `to prevent the invasion'. During
protests, residents carried banners with slogans such as `We do
not want this rubbish', `out with the invaders' and `send them
back to their own country'.
The amazing scenes at Neuville-sur-Ain have focused attention
on the status of France's Gypsy population. According to official
estimates, between 250,000-300,000 Roma live in France, the
second largest Gypsy community in Europe after Spain. Bertrand
Probot, director of the National Union of Institutions for Social
Action for Gypsies, says that it is a complete anomaly that
gypsies are forced to carry an identity card that distinguishes
them from the rest of French society. Describing the card as more
a `licence to circulate', he points out that Gypsies are obliged
to report to the police once every three months` as though they
were delinquents' (Inter-Press Service News 8.3.93).

Popular racism EC Europe

IRR European Race Audit no 3, 1993.
Contact: Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations,
2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS. Tel: ++ 071 837 0041