November 1997

(The comments in italics are made by the GHM.)

1/11/97 Exoussia [G. Karaivaz].

Police Fights with the Zefiri Roma Campers

In an attempt to discover and confiscate five pounds of hashish, policemen went into the Roma camp in Zefiri. By the time they realized that the drug smugglers had already disappeared, they ceased fire. The Roma who live in the camp claimed that they used guns because of the recent events of the demolition of some of their shelters by the local authorities and that they were not the first to start, meaning that the policemen were those who opened fire. On the other hand, the police officers claimed that the majority of the Roma camps are drug dealing sites of the Albanian Mafia. And all this with the acceptance of the campers, who get things in return. The main argument used by the police, in order to justify the invasion in the Zefiri camp, was that this particular camp had been pointed out, by many drug addicts (some of them underage) as the place where they got their drugs from.

The report tries to be objective, presenting both aspects and avoiding to take sides. The lack of any critical comment, related to the generalizing “labels” put by the police and attributed to the majority of the Roma communities and the latter’s connections with the Albanian Mafia, gives the impression that the newspaper justifies this.

3/11/97 Eleftherotypia.

All declarations concerning Roma in Greece made by the government stayed on paper.

The Greek Helsinki Monitor condemns the government for not having realized in practice all the promises and commitments which had been declared, since summer 1996. Part of the criticism is also based on the fact that all the declarations were scheduled to take place in 1997, on the occasion of the European Year Against Racism.

A positive report, sharing the criticism of the GHM.

4/11/97 Exoussia

The Evosmos Roma: The Usual Suspects.

An open letter to the Minister of Public Order, Mr. G. Romaios, by the Greek Helsinki Monitor. Inter alia, the letter denounced the claim of the Evosmos police chief that it was the “Roma who helped the suspects (drug dealers) to escape” from their camp.

A very positive report, condemning the “scapegoat” practices and generalizations. The writer openly expresses his opinion saying that “it is high time we stopped this labeling of usual suspects.”

4/11/97 Eleftherotypia

Against Racist Blocks

With an open letter to the Ministry of Public Order, the Greek Helsinki Monitor condemns the police practices towards the Roma living in the camp of Zefiri. The GHM reports that the camp was blocked by policemen, who, by using the excuse of drug dealing persecution, raided over the camp and terrified the whole community. The GHM condemns the adoption of similar practices which enforce racism and label citizens on the basis of their difference.

A very positive report adopting the GHM’s criticism.

4/11/97 Adesmeftos Typos

The 3,500 Roma campers of Evosmos are in danger of being contaminated.

The non-governmental organization Youth against Racism in Europe reports that the 3,500 Roma campers of Evosmos live under unacceptable conditions, without water, in provisional shelters, persecuted by the mayor of the district of Evosmos. The organization claims that the garbage bins are not emptied on a regular basis, thus endangering the health of the whole community, and threatening it with all kinds of infections.

The report shares the position of the organization.

4/11/97 Exoussia [G. Karaivaz].

A drastic expansion of drug dealing within the Roma communities. Up to 1996, the police had hardly any record concerning Roma participation in drug dealing, simply because all the arrests recorded were individual cases. Ever since 1996, the situation has changed. The well-organized participation of the Roma in drug dealing (especially of hashish) has increased dramatically. During 1996 seven Roma gangs were arrested. (14 persons, 180 grams of hashish were confiscated). Three of these bands were active in the area of Shistos and the other four - in Halandri. In many cases it was proved that Roma communities were cooperating with the Albanian Mafia, which were their main providers. As a result, the police were forced to raid over the Roma camp of Halandri (17/4/97). That was the beginning. Up to now, 16 Roma gangs have been arrested, (41 persons); 91 kilos and 513 grams of hashish, 3 grams of heroine and 17 methadone pills have been confiscated. According to police officers the situation is becoming worse and worse.

A negative report, presenting whole Roma communities as “collectively guilty” of the expansion of drugs. As the report claims, in the majority of the cases, drug dealing concerns soft drugs such as hashish. This fact cannot seriously be estimated as a contributing factor to the expansion of drugs. It is just part of the whole truth. Heroine and cocaine dealers are not Roma, and they cannot be Roma, because this is a different type of drug dealing, demanding other types of “marketing” which Roma cannot have access to. The situation is oversimplified and the conclusions which are drawn are very general and biased. The report does not get into a deeper analysis of the motives which may encourage criminal behavior within the Roma camps.

4/11/97 Exoussia [Elizabeta Cazaloti, spokesperson of the LIA organization].

The Police Won’t Resolve the Problem.

(Related to the above data): As long as the use of hashish is not legalized and its dealing keeps having a certain value in the market, some social groups will constantly be marginalized. These are groups like the Albanian immigrants and the Roma which are incited to get into crime. The police cannot solve the problem. The only practical and evident effect would be the increase of the price of hashish on the black market and the making of money for some powerful dealers. The dealing in small quantities of hashish aimed at personal use should be legalized, in order to avoid such situations.

A point which goes into the problem seriously and deeply, treats the matter not superficially, and acknowledges that the difference between soft and hard drugs is big. In this way it gives in a different, wider, and more objective perspective the share of responsibility of the Roma in the expansion of drug dealing.

5/11/97 Nea [S. Alexiou].

District attorney puts the blame on policemen for their incapacity to crack down on drug expansion.

The supervisor of the office of the district attorney, Mr. Koliokostas, asks the General Police Direction of Athens (The Drugs’ Department) and all the police stations’ superior officers to take drastic measures against the expansion of drugs and the repression of crime related to drugs. Within the recommended areas of investigations are the Roma camps all over Athens.

The report tries to be objective, simply reporting, without moving on to further comments on the matter.

5/11/97 Apogevmatini [E. Konstandoudaki].

Policemen into Schools.

(concerning the District Attorney’s decision to put pressure on the police forces, aiming at the efficient cracking down on drug dealing).

This report presents the District Attorney’ official order, without any further comment.

5/11/97 Exoussia [ S. Fassoulaki].

Suspects Should be Searched for Drugs.

(once more, a report on the District Attorney’s official order addressed to the police forces).

A simple report. No comments.

5/11/97 Eleftheros Typos

Police accused of deficiency, concerning drug repression.

(concerning the news mentioned above).

A simple report. No comments.

6/11/97 Vradini [a letter by S. Nikolaidou, member of the Greek Helsinki Monitor).

Attacking the Usual Suspects.

The GHM openly condemns the police raid in the Roma camps of Zefiri and the racist practices of looking for “scapegoats.”

A neutral presentation of the GHM report, without any more comments.

10/11/97 Nea

With blood all over his body, a 7-year-old Roma boy kept on begging.

A 7-year-old boy was begging at the Piraeus railway station, when attacked by Albanians. The boy, even though seriously injured, continued begging, until he fainted in front of the passers by, who called an ambulance.

Although the report gives the impression that it presents only facts, it still creates a negative image of the Roma people. The emphasis put on the fact that, despite his injuries, the boy went on begging, is an insinuation of the family pressure over the boy to gather a certain amount of money before going back home.

9/11/97 Kathimerini [Time]

A presentation of the Roma population all over Europe, of the problems they have and of the persecutions they have suffered through the centuries (with comparisons between the past and the present situation).

An extensive report concerning the situation of the Roma in Greece is also included. “Isolation, illiteracy and total ignorance as regards the country’s laws can easily lead the Roma to illegal acts.” The conditions under which the Roma live in their camps are presented in a vivid way. Rats, no water, no toilettes. The majority of children does not have anything to do with the Greek educational system; they do not have official papers, because they do not know how to do this and (thus) are afraid of dealing with bureaucracy; they have no hospital treatment. For all these reasons they are put in the social margin. They are victims of the official authorities’ and citizens’ racist attitudes and practices. Only 2% of them have gone through the 9 years of obligatory school. 21.12% have attended school for maximum three years, and 12.4% have given up the effort for good. Still, all Roma parents are in favor of their children’s going to school (99.5%) and 98% of them estimate that education is a really important factor in one’s life. The report uses as part of its sources the information given to the newspaper by the GHM.

A very positive report, with a deep analysis of the situation of the Roma in Greece. It does not treat the matter superficially, daring to criticize both the state and Greek society for having isolated the Roma.

10/11/97 Apogevmatini

Albanians Stabbed and Robbed a 7-year-old Roma Boy. (concerning the incident mentioned above).

A neutral report, stressing the fact that the criminals are Albanians.

12/11/97 Eleftheros Typos [Aphrodite Tsikritzi]

(The Town of) Patras: Bulldozers’ Invasion in a Gypsy Camp.

The prefect of Ahaia moved on to the demolition of three shelters of Roma campers. According to the authorities, this is only the beginning. It is also considered to be a warning for the Roma, living in the camp, in order to leave the area. This “sudden invasion which was kept secret up to the last minute” did not produce reactions from the Roma campers who had been living there permanently, since they had been informed of the authorities’ decision concerning their removal to another part of the city. On the contrary, the reaction of all those Roma who come to the camp occasionally, was particularly intense. The local authorities have not come to any decision concerning the future of these people. They will simply be forced to leave the place, without having any alternatives.

The report tries to be neutral. Still, there is no comment on the different treatment of the Roma citizens of the city and all the other campers who, according to the circumstances, decide to join the camp. This division is not criticized by the newspaper.

13/11/97 Exoussia [G. Karvouniaris]

Gypsies’ Time in the Makrygianni Neighborhood.

The Roma who have been living in the area of Makrygianni for years agreed to leave their camp with a view to the promise that they would be transferred to another part of the city. This deal concerns only the citizens of the municipality of Patra. As for all the others, they will be given some technical aid in order to go back to the places of their origin. At first the reactions on behalf of the Roma campers were intense. After the visit of Prefect Seretis, they were informed of the administration plans, concerning the wider area. All the changes, proposed by the administration, were approved by the Roma Cultural Association as well.

A neutral report, showing great interest in the occasional residents of the camp and their perspectives for a better future.

13/11/97 Exoussia [N. Batsis]

Doubtful Victory (concerning the matter mentioned above)

The removal of the Roma campers under the promising perspective for improvement of their living conditions is presented as an inevitable procedure. The fact that everything happened without any unpleasant incident is considered to be a “victory” for both the Roma community and the residents of the Makrygianni area. Some doubts are expressed for the future of the occasional campers.

A very positive report.

14/11/97 Exoussia [Georgos Sahinis].

Underage Hashish Users’ Massive Arrests

Four hashish dealers in the Roma camp of Nea Alikarnassos were arrested together with 20 other people (most of them were underage). The police confiscated 360 grams of hashish, 1 gram of heroine and 54 pills. In spite of the fact that the quantities mentioned above are not considered to be remarkably great, the most impressive of all is the number of young people who visited the camp in search of drugs. The police director claimed that “for a long time, the camp of Nea Alikarnassos has been one of the drug dealing meeting points on the island” (Crete). Still, he admitted that this is not a responsibility of all the Roma campers, “the majority of whom, are industrious and honest.”

The report is more or less neutral, presenting both sides, avoiding generalizations, stereotyping and labeling.

14/11/97 Nea

Queuing up for Hashish in the Roma Camp.

There are long queues of cars and motor bikes outside the camp of Nea Alikarnassos. They have come here in search of hashish. The police started a sudden investigation. As a result, 24 people were arrested, some of them - underage.

The report takes for granted the guilt of the Roma hashish dealers without getting into the trouble to make a more accurate and profound analysis of the reasons which lead the Roma to commit illegal acts.

15/11/97 Adesmeftos Typos

The Roma Drug Dealers of Nea Alikarnassos are Legally Persecuted

The district attorney of Iraklio started the legal persecution of the Roma who were arrested in the camp of Nea Alikarnassos. They are accused of drug dealing. The local people are in great panic because of the gradually increasing number of minor addicts.

A neutral presentation of the facts. Still, this is a report which can indirectly contribute to panic, generalizations and drawing of conclusions, concerning a delicate and complex matter, such as the use of drugs.

15/11/97 Kathimerini [letter to the newspaper, A. Vlassopoulou].

A letter sent to the newspaper in answer to a report in Kathimerini (9/11/97) on the conditions under which the majority of the Roma live. The reader says that she cannot deny the fact that the Greek state “does not give a damn” about the Roma, and that there is frequent racist behavior against the Roma on the part of Greek society. Still, she feels obliged to emphasize the way this report was presented, neglecting completely the feelings of all those people who “have to” coexist with the Roma in the same area, neighborhood, bus, school… “Have you ever traveled with Gypsies in the same bus? Have you ever felt that your fortune is threatened by them? Have you ever had a car accident with them?”

The newspaper’s answer was that the nature and the motives of the particular report were different, aiming at the presentation of the history of the Roma people all over Europe, of the problems they encounter on an everyday basis and of the latter’s possible solutions. The newspaper accepts that many other citizens may also have problems due to this situation, but thinks that the solution to this cannot be separated from the solution of the everyday problems of the Roma. “If the state had helped them enjoy all rights and opportunities of a decent life, then the Roma would not have been a ‘problem’ for their neighbors.”

A very positive answer to a very racist letter.

20/11/97 Eleftherotypia

“Racist” Closure of the Garbage Collecting Place (Homateri) of Ano Liossia.

The garbage collecting place (homateri) of Ano Liossia was closed for “racist” reasons. The employees had a rally against the Roma living in the wider area of the “homateri” and moved to its closure as a way of protest for the problems they have to encounter on an everyday basis, due to the presence of Gypsies in their working area. The president of the employees’ committee, Mr. Hadas, claimed that the whole matter is a responsibility of the Mayor of Aspropyrgos who decided to allow the Roma campers to use the place until the end of the coming winter. As to the Mayor himself, he replied that employees should secure the place, by guarding the “homateri” if they wanted to avoid problems with the Roma community.

The article is openly against the motives of the decision for closure, characterizing them as “racists.”

19/11/97 Exoussia [G. Karaivaz, S. Karalis, G. Vlahos].

Underage “Clientele” of Roma Drug Dealers.

Underage people, mainly pupils, visit on an everyday basis the Roma camps in search of drugs. The reason for this seems to be the idea that the provision of drugs within a camp is “a piece of cake,” due to the “weakness” of the police to proceed with the necessary investigations. For this reason, policemen are limiting themselves only to exterior investigations, outside the camps, aiming more at arresting drug addicts than drug dealers. According to police officers, 80% of the arrested, underage drug users get their drugs from Roma dealers. The newspaper claims that it was the first to reveal the connections between the Roma dealers and the Albanian Mafia and the exploitation which the former are forced to suffer. The attraction of clients is really successful due to the low prices at which drugs are offered. That can also explain the fact that young users can afford buying them. The Mayor of Zefiri, Mr. G. Ioakimides, often receives complaints from citizens. “By the time the Gypsies come to a place, there is a chain of problems coming together with them. The only thing we can do is remove them, due to hygienic reasons, since they often transmit dangerous diseases, due to the lack of observance of the basic hygienic rules.” The Mayor of Halandri (a suburb of Athens) claimed that in the past, he had been forced to go in person to the camp of the city in order to get a rough idea of the situation there. He has no problems now and judges the situation to be under control after the coming into force of the decision that the Roma, living all over Halandri, have to form a unique camp, which is about to be removed within some days.

The report presents only one aspect of the situation, without getting into the trouble to name the deep reasons for such incidents, creating and enforcing stereotypes (“the Gypsy drug dealer”). The biased “labels” are attributed not only to some individuals but to a whole community (the idea of the “conspiracy and tolerance” spirit shared by everyone in the Roma camp, even when it comes to criminal acts). The reference to the Albanian Mafia is limited to three phrases and besides the fact that it generalizes the problem, is not used to offer a deeper analysis of the reasons for the “marginalization” of the Roma in Greek society. The comment of the Mayor of Zefiri, Mr. Ioakimides, concerning the lack of observance of the basic hygienic “rules” instead of “conditions,” which is an administrative and political matter, is completely ignored by the newspaper.

22/11/97 Exoussia [P. Vayas].

Fighting Roma Illiteracy.

A project, aiming at the improvement of the education of Roma throughout Greece and, thus, at their integration within society is getting started. The whole responsibility for the project, “launched” by the Ministry of Education, is given to the Philosophical, Psychological and Pedagogical Department of the Ioanina University. The project concerns ten big towns, has a duration of three years and the estimated cost is around one billion drachmas. The importance of this project is more than vital, since 75% of Roma children do not go to school and lack fundamental education. One of the long-term aims of the idea is the information and “sensitivization” of the maximum possible number of Greek children about the cultural background of the Roma. In this way all social reservations and prejudices concerning this matter would be dealt with.

The report is openly in favor of the project and its aims. It judges that the project serves not only the needs of Roma in Greece, but also the principles of a tolerant, fair and multicultural society.

22/11/97 Exoussia [N. Batsis]

The Offer to the Roma is of Vital Importance (concerning the project mentioned above).

The writer contributes to the dialogue which the above mentioned project produced, expressing his views about the effort and its motives. He judges the project as an important step towards the education of Roma children, which will be favorable to the whole community which suffers a lot due to illiteracy.

A very positive report which emphasizes the fundamental needs of the Roma and the benefits from this project, provided that the effort is sincere and long lasting. (Probably this point can be “translated” as indirect criticism of all similar initiatives in the past).

29/10/97 Apogevmatini [Minas Tsamopoulos].

Underage Girls - Drug Dealers

Two underage Roma girls were arrested and were accused of being drug dealers, together with four other people. After the newspaper and the police learnt that big quantities of drugs were being dealt with on an everyday basis in the Gypsies’ camp near the market in the area of Rendi, the police invaded the camp and arrested six persons for selling drugs. In addition, three underage boys who were there in search of drugs were also arrested.