1/4/97 Eleftherotypia [Maria Dede]

The Roma are justified to be afraid of the policemen because of the brutal way in which the special police forces had invaded their place in the past. "How would the Roma not be suspicious of the journalists, who do not publish stories about their problems?" "How is it possible for the Roma not to sell drugs since there is so much poverty around and since there are so many uneducated persons among them?" "What is worse? To sell marihuana or to be forced to spend your childhood in dirty areas?" "How would the Roma not look for illegal profits when none of the promises of various ministries since 1982 has been fulfilled?"

This is an excellent article, which expresses very progressive and liberal views, since it points out that poverty is the main reason which makes some Roma commit crimes, and consequently, that the state is responsible for the whole situation.

2/4/97 Apogevmatini

Members of the Visitors’ Group of the Health Department of the Greek Red Cross were attacked by Roma who held out knives in the camping of Ano Liosia. The above has also been included in a report sent to the Mayor Mr. Papadimas, where it is mentioned that the physical integrity of the members of the group is at risk. "Something similar happened four months ago, when the volunteers went to the camping in order to vaccinate 117 children." The Mayors of three municipalities (Ano Liosia, Aharnes and Halandri) visited the Minister of Public Order and asked the police to increase the measures concerning the Roma. "Right now there are members of the Albanian and the Russian Mafia in the Roma camping. They deal in drugs and stolen objects." Furthermore, "Albanian and Russian criminals resort to the camping so that they get away from the policemen."

The report is extremely hostile to the Roma. It does not include the views of any Roma, and makes generalizations about them by considering all of them criminals.

2/4/97 Eleftherotypia [Maria Dede]

Twenty Roma children, accompanied by teachers from the Save the Children social organization, visited a primary school in the area of Kallithea. "Only five or six out of twenty manage to attend the school lessons in their own area." "Anyway, yesterday they adjusted very easily to the school environment, and they played and sang with the rest of the children." "After the visit, some Roma children said that they wanted to come to this school more often in order to be able to socialize with their new friends." "We want them at this school, because they know perfectly well how to play good football," said a non-Roma child. "We had a great time. We did not expect that they would treat us so well, because in the other school which we attend now, they laugh at us and they call us gypsies," said a Roma girl. "All the people are equal. I hope that society will accept the Roma," added a Roma boy.

It is a very positive and emotional report, which shows that coexistence between Roma and non-Roma children can be promoted through the educational system.

3/4/97 Eleftheros Typos

A Roma couple was arrested on the Samos island, and was brought to the district attorney. The two Roma had bought animal food from a store in the area of Karlovassi, and paid with forged money. The policemen found more forged money hidden in the body of the woman.

The report gives emphasis on the ethnic identity of the arrested persons (Roma), and regards the two persons as already convicted by neglecting to use the word "alleged" and, therefore, by violating the constitutional principle of "everyone is innocent until the opposite is proven."

6/4/97 Ethnos of Sunday [Vassilis Kargas]

In the town of Stara Zagora in Bulgaria there is a particular day every year on which the Roma sell their daughters to "candidate husbands." "The girls get married at the age of 14 to 19, and the young men have to pay a lot of money on the condition that their candidate wife is a virgin." "The beautiful girls are more likely to be desired by many men." "The prices range from 1 mill leva to 3 mill leva." "When more than one men is interested in the same girl, the girl’s family follows the procedure of an auction and, consequently, the girl is delivered to the richer person." "In the old times, the negotiations used to take place between the parents of the groom and those of the bride, but nowadays the couple participates as well."

The report presents the fact in a populist way by referring to the specific cost of the procedure of "auction" which takes place between the family of the groom and the family of the bride.

6/4/97 Kathimerini [Tassos Teloglou]

In Ano Liosia there are 7,000 Roma (about 10% of the whole population). A small group of them lives in an isolated camping under very bad conditions. "There is no potable water, there is much garbage." "This situation is unacceptable." "If the government provides us with housing, we are ready to leave the camping," a Roma said. "The Roma are afraid of another police invasion." "If there is electricity, water, telephones and school education, there won’t be any crimes or drugs." There are illegal activities concerning drug dealing, but there is no other solution for the Roma who live under great poverty. They have learnt how to sell drugs during their imprisonment for "use." They do not have any financial means for other kind of business. "The mass media are responsible for the distorted view of the public opinion about them." "Everyone agrees that the conditions in Ano Liosia are shameful for an Athens of the 21st century."

Not only is the report positive, but it is quite complete. It explains very well the deep reasons which make some Roma get involved in drug dealing. This is one of the few reports which mention the obvious negative role of the mass media in the whole situation.

7/4/97 Adesmeftos Typos [Olga Panagiotidou]

"The access of Roma children to the system of education" was the main subject of the conference organized in Petroupolis by the Institute for Roma Studies on the Greek Territory with the cooperation of school counselors of West Attiki and Associate Professor Maria Janni. The purpose of this conference was to find out the disadvantages of the existing educational system and to suggest measures for a more general educational and social policy. According to the professor, "due to the influence of the European Union, there is an increasing sensitivity as far as the integration of the Roma children into Greek society is concerned." "The Greek school emphasizes similarity and not the acceptance of otherness," said the President of the Greek Roma Association Dr. Lambrou. "The Institute has issued recently a book about the attitudes and tendencies of the Roma," the President of the Institute added.

In general, this is a positive report which tries to familiarize the readers of the newspaper with the educational problems of the Roma through information about the activities of the Institute for Roma Studies concerning this issue.

10/4/97 Eleftherotypia [Maria Dede]

A "social experiment" is talking place in the Roma neighborhood in Metaxourgion.

An educational Center for Children and Family Support has been founded by volunteers, in order to help the Roma children spend their free time in a creative way. "The Muslim Roma of the Turkish language. The Roma of the area speak either Romanesh or Turkish." The Roma children of Metaxourgion live in terrible conditions, which force them to sell tissues or flowers in the streets in order to survive. They claim that, very often, the policemen do not allow them to work in the street. When they finish this "work," they go to the educational Center, so that they could learn how to read and write. Sometimes the government promotes some programs for "professional education," which last only for three months. "There is no point in adopting such short programs." The problem is that most of the Roma children attend the official school at the age of 10 or 12. Many Roma women would like to be taught in the arts, but most of them have to take care of their sick children, especially since access to hospitals is not easy. The teacher who works at the Center asks for help any person who is willing to teach a Roma child how to study and do his/her homework. "Financial contributions are also welcome."

The report is very positive, since it tries to contribute to the improvement of the education of the Roma children and informs the public about the exact conditions under which the Roma live.

14/4/97 Ethnos [letter by reader Vassilis Anastassopoulos]

"The situation in the Roma camping in the town of Tripoli shows the indifference, the hypocrisy, the ignorance and the arrogance which characterize the human beings." "There are many barefoot children with shabby clothes who look into the garbage bins, whereas the political and spiritual leaders are complaining of the low birth rate in Greece."

This letter, published in the newspaper, shows the sensitivity of a reader who seems to have witnessed the conditions of life in the Roma camping in Tripoli

15/4/97 Adesmeftos Typos [Vassilis Mitropoulos]

There is a cry of desperation coming from the President of the Macedonia Roma Association in Thessaloniki, and from other 25,000 members. The complaint is addressed to Prime Minister Simitis, because of a court decision which orders the expulsion of the Roma from the camping of Evosmos in Thessaloniki. "3,500 Roma live without water and toilettes." "Why the Prime Minister does not fulfill the election promises of his political party concerning the provision of 1,000 sites for temporary housing of the Roma?"

The report expresses its staunch support to the requests of the Roma, since it urges the Prime Minister to apply the policy which he had announced in the past.

18/4/97 Eleftheros Typos

Pupils and two other underage people were arrested while they were buying drugs in the Roma camping in Halandri (Athens). "This particular camping has existed for 25 years. Some 120 persons live in it without water or electricity, since the area does not belong yet to the official urban plan of the city." The policemen stormed into the camping after information about drug dealing, coming from visitors or residents of the area. "As a result of these activities, the previously peaceful camping has been turned lately into a place where drug dealers can meet even young children!!" In the recent past, the chief of the camping, Mr. Kalamiotis, has said that "persons from the neighboring area of Menidi come every night to sell uncountable kilos of hashish and to terrify us."

Although the report tries to be objective at the beginning by referring to the conditions of life of the Roma, it gives emphasis to unfounded allegations about crimes and to superficial generalizations about the situation in the camping.

18/4/97 Adesmeftos Typos

A huge operation of the Anti Drug Police Service took place in the Roma camping in Halandri. "The 70 policemen arrived in 20 cars and on motorbikes." Among the arrested persons were also pupils and underage children who had visited the camping in order to buy hashish. "If it is proven that some individuals participated in drug dealing, they will be brought to the district attorney."

The report describes the facts objectively. It is very important that it does not regard the defendants as guilty, but implies that proofs must be found.

18/4/97 Apogevmatini [George Gionnis]

After such information and many specific denouncements, coming even from the Municipality of Halandri, and concerning the drug dealing which used to take place around this area, 70 policemen of the Drug Persecution department organized a huge operation, which resulted in the arrest of young persons who had bought small quantities of hashish. "The policemen invaded the camping and started searching in every single hut." The police were interrogating the 37 arrested persons all night in order to find out whether they had really committed the crime of drug dealing.

The report refers to the acts of the police, without informing the public opinion about the various problems of the Roma, which are related to the conditions of their life.

19/4/97 Eleftherotypia [Georgia Dama]

"The Muslim Roma who live in the area of Gazi near the center of Athens, celebrate the day of Curban Bairam, which is their Easter. The streets are full of children dressed officially. It is a great religious holiday which is celebrated in the houses, because there is no temple for the Muslims in the city of Athens." "This is the day of reconciliation and love. We do not drink and we do not argue. It is similar to Easter," said Momin, member of the Muslim Association of the South East. "Animal sacrifices take place during this day." "The celebration is based on the sacrifice of Abraham." All the Muslim Roma say good wishes to one another.

The report presents the religious and cultural customs of the Muslim Roma of Athens in a very positive way. The spirit of the report is obviously in favor of the multinational and multicultural coexistence.

19/4/97 Adesmeftos Typos [Fotis Nakos]

"Roma merchants of death were caught while delivering big quantities of drugs even to young 15-year-old people and high school students. "More than 2.5 kilos of marihuana, 4 grams of heroin, 17 pills of methadone and 814,000 drs. were found and confiscated in the Roma camping in Halandri." "In the past, many clients had been arrested, while the dealers had escaped, because they used the coverage of their relatives in order to avoid arrest."

The report dramatizes the events by using stereotypical press expressions, like "merchants of death" and "coverage of relatives" and its whole spirit is considered to be hostile to the Roma.

19/4/97 Kathimerini [Pikia Galati]

"70 policemen invaded a Roma camping in Halandri, where the Roma live in conditions of extreme poverty, where no child attends school, where half of the Roma are seriously ill of hepatitis, where most of the adults are alcoholics, where 25% of the Roma children beg for money in the middle of the street." "So far, the government has not shown any care for the needs of the 120 persons of the camping, something which had been pointed out in a research of the Technological Institute of Athens." "There is no potable water or clean clothes for the children." "Half of the adults have medical problems, such as neurotic sickness, mental distress, heart disease, etc." "Only 18% of the people enjoy medical treatment." "Only 15 out of 54 children have been vaccinated." "90% of the Roma believe that the police do not protect them." "Their requests are: water, electricity, housing, education and access to medical help." The Mayor of Halandri, Mr. Pattakos, said that he is willing to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of the Roma.

The report is excellent, because it prefers to emphasize the factor of "social conditions" which make the Roma get involved in drug dealing. The fact of the arrest is undervalued, which shows that the report expresses a very open-minded point of view.

19/4/97 Apogevmatini [Kostas Mihailidis]

"The Albanians are to blame for the drug dealing in the camping, and not our parents," said a 25-year-old Roma who was born in this camping and "tries to find an excuse for the existence of drugs in this place." "The 30 Roma families in the camping of Halandri were upset by the police operation." "The women do not talk to the journalists, because they are afraid of the revenge of foreign dealers." "The young children state that the illegal immigrants visit the camping at nights and sell drugs even to underage persons."

This report tries to "victimize" the Roma by turning the Albanian immigrants into "scapegoats." The tendency towards generalization is intensive.

19/4/97 Apogevmatini [George Gionnis]

"The Roma of the camping of Halandri are responsible for the corruption of the young people, because they addict the latter to drugs." "The drug dealers’ cruelty in the Roma camping horrifies everybody." "A gang of 14 immoral Roma committed these crimes, thanks not only to the silent approval, but also to the contribution of the rest of the residents of the camping." "After many hours of surveillance by the Sub-Department of Drug Persecution, 70 policemen managed to reveal the Roma corporation for drugs."

The report is considered to be purely racist, since it adopts the authoritarian principle of "collective responsibility," without referring to proofs which might support the accusations of the co called "silent approval" and "contribution." Another negative dimension of this report concerns the violation of the constitutional principle of "fair trial," because it regards the defendants as guilty before the trial has even started.

19/4/97 Eleftherotypia

The policemen arrested the young "clients" of the Roma camping in Halandri, where poverty and misery prevail. Then they invaded the camping and arrested 37 people. Finally, 29 of them were brought to the district attorney on the charge of drug dealing. Fourteen out of twenty nine are Roma (9 men, four women and one underage). As far as the arrested young clients are concerned, there are 7 high school students among them. "2.737 kilos of marihuana and 4 grams of heroin have been found." "70 policemen took part in this operation." "The raid lasted some 45 minutes." "Almost all the Roma of the camping state that Albanian merchants are the main drug dealers and that most Albanians force the Roma to promote on the market the marihuana imported from Albania."

The report is objective, because it presents all facts (numbers, categories of persons and drugs) and all the views about those facts. It also mentions the issue of poverty, which is usually not referred to by the press.

21/4/97 Eleftherotypia [Georgia Dama]

A special festival took place in the big hall of the 87th Primary School in the area of Gazi in Athens, where some 300 visitors, Muslim Roma and Christians, participated. The children were selling small books with handmade pictures. The neighbors had great fun and were able to buy clothes and toys at half price. The people who met each other for the first time started talking, laughing and enjoying the festival together. Five musicians played eastern and western music free of charge. The parents had brought meals from their houses. A 10-year-old Roma girl was dancing gracefully the eastern dance "tsifteteli." Finally, the idea of the teachers was successful.

The report describes in a positive way all activities which took place during a multicultural festival in Gazi, a neighborhood full of Roma. It contributes to the mutual understanding and solidarity between Roma and non-Roma citizens.

22/4/97 Eleftherotypia [Maria Pini]

The Democratic Center (EDIK) political party announced its return to the political struggle. The A’ Secretary of EDIK, Mr. Freris, said that the party included in its political program a provision about the establishment of a Forum called Roma Parliament, which would contribute to the social integration of the Roma, while informing the Greek people about the problems of the Roma.