A white social worker has lost his bid to claim up to £18,000 compensation from Birmingham City Council for race discrimination.
Anthony Francis, employed in the local authority’s controversial child protection unit, alleged he was racially discriminated against for being a white Anglo Saxon by not being included on a course.
A Birmingham employment tribunal heard he previously received an out-of-court settlement when he made a racial discrimination complaint against his employer in 2002.
In his latest claim Mr Francis, of Hagley Road, Halesowen, who has worked at the council for nearly 17 years, also accused a woman boss of covert bullying and alleged she was unpleasant to anyone within the team.
Tribunal judge Victoria Dean told the hearing he had issued three different claims against the council in relatively quick succession since receiving the out-of-court settlement nine years ago. She rejected Mr Francis’ latest allegations and accused him of abusing the claim process. Liz Cunningham, representing the council, previously accused Mr Francis of abusing the tribunal process by including allegations from two previous cases against the council, both of which he lost.
“Mr Francis used 155 paragraphs in his evidence yet used old claims which had previously been dismissed,” said Miss Cunningham previously.
Mrs Dean said the tribunal had no jurisdiction to deal with two of the cases and that, under the current claims, Mr Francis had been seeking between £6,000 and £18,000 compensation.
“But the claimant had filed further particulars in the latest claims which, among other things, represented the claims that were dismissed in previous cases,” said Mrs Dean.
“The tribunal’s judgment is that the latest claims are struck out on the basis that the manner in which the proceedings have been conducted have been vexatious.
“The tribunal doesn’t have jurisdiction over the latest claims.”
Birmingham Mail
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
45 YEARS LATER ENAR SHADOW REPORT SHOWS THAT RACISM IS FAR FROM OVER IN EUROPE
In 1966, the United Nations proclaimed March 21 as the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’, and every year on this day, all nations are encouraged to examine racial discrimination and take affirmative steps to address racial inequality. This Day takes on even more significance as 45 years later, data collected by anti-racist civil society across Europe show that racism remains a deep-rooted problem in a broad range of areas, including employment, housing, education, health, policing, access to goods and services, and the media. ENAR’s European Shadow Report draws on 27 national shadow reports prepared by ENAR members across the European Union and Croatia. It identifies communities vulnerable to racism and presents an overview of manifestations of racism in a range of areas, as well as an assessment of the legal and political context and responses by governments.
The report reveals that across Europe, ethnic and religious minorities continue to face discrimination and exclusion in all areas of life. For instance, in the field of education, the issues highlighted include lower quality education for ethnic minorities, segregation, racist bullying, as well as lower attendance and schooling rates. Access to public transport is also highlighted as a key area of concern in many countries with regard to various means of transport, including airlines. Another example of such discrimination is in the private rental market, most notably in Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and Spain. Explicit discriminatory remarks in housing adverts are reported in a number of countries. In addition, extremism and racist violence are on the rise across Europe. The rise of extremist organisations and public expressions of racist sentiments within the mainstream political parties and elected governments has hindered the integration of migrants and ethnic minorities. These barriers and challenges have been amplified by the financial and economic crisis. The report also shows some areas of improvement, notably with regard to the positive impact of EU anti-discrimination legislation in EU member states. However, the report shows that legislation alone is not sufficient and that additional measures need to be taken to ensure non-discrimination in practice. These are some of the main conclusions of ENAR’s 2009/2010 Shadow Report on racism in Europe.
Chibo Onyeji, ENAR President, said: “ENAR’s European Shadow Report demonstrates that racism is far from over in Europe -- we still have a long way to go before reaching effective equality for all. It is crucial that decision makers retain a focus on racism and ensure equality of treatment, particularly in times where an essentially negative approach to migration has meant migrants, or individuals perceived as migrants, are often treated as second class persons.”
The European Report, the 27 national reports, as well as a report on Racist violence in Europe, produced by ENAR, are available on the ENAR website
The European report “Racism in Europe - ENAR Shadow Report 2009/2010”can also be ordered in hard copy in English and French from the ENAR secretariat
European Network Against Racism
The report reveals that across Europe, ethnic and religious minorities continue to face discrimination and exclusion in all areas of life. For instance, in the field of education, the issues highlighted include lower quality education for ethnic minorities, segregation, racist bullying, as well as lower attendance and schooling rates. Access to public transport is also highlighted as a key area of concern in many countries with regard to various means of transport, including airlines. Another example of such discrimination is in the private rental market, most notably in Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and Spain. Explicit discriminatory remarks in housing adverts are reported in a number of countries. In addition, extremism and racist violence are on the rise across Europe. The rise of extremist organisations and public expressions of racist sentiments within the mainstream political parties and elected governments has hindered the integration of migrants and ethnic minorities. These barriers and challenges have been amplified by the financial and economic crisis. The report also shows some areas of improvement, notably with regard to the positive impact of EU anti-discrimination legislation in EU member states. However, the report shows that legislation alone is not sufficient and that additional measures need to be taken to ensure non-discrimination in practice. These are some of the main conclusions of ENAR’s 2009/2010 Shadow Report on racism in Europe.
Chibo Onyeji, ENAR President, said: “ENAR’s European Shadow Report demonstrates that racism is far from over in Europe -- we still have a long way to go before reaching effective equality for all. It is crucial that decision makers retain a focus on racism and ensure equality of treatment, particularly in times where an essentially negative approach to migration has meant migrants, or individuals perceived as migrants, are often treated as second class persons.”
The European Report, the 27 national reports, as well as a report on Racist violence in Europe, produced by ENAR, are available on the ENAR website
The European report “Racism in Europe - ENAR Shadow Report 2009/2010”can also be ordered in hard copy in English and French from the ENAR secretariat
European Network Against Racism
NEO-NAZIS FACE COURT FOR ONLINE RADIO CONTENT (Germany)
Eighteen operators of a right-wing extremist online radio station face a Koblenz court on Monday for incitement of hatred. They face up to five years in prison. The trial at the district court was scheduled to begin at 9:30 am, when the men aged 20 to 37-years-old stand accused of forming a criminal organisation. As administrators and moderators of Widerstand Radio, or “Resistance Radio,” the group allegedly played music by German and international neo-Nazi bands. The music was also accompanied by racist commentary and illegal National Socialist sentiments, according to prosecutors. The group was arrested in November 2010 during raids by Federal Criminal Police (BKA) in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North-Rhine Westphalia. If the defendants are convicted they face up to five years behind bars.
The Local Germany
The Local Germany
ITALY: ACT SWIFTLY TO END RACIST VIOLENCE
The Italian government is failing to take effective action to prevent and prosecute racist and xenophobic violence, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Immigrants, Italians of foreign descent, and Roma have been the victims of brutal attacks in Italy in recent years. The 71-page report, "Everyday Intolerance: Racist and Xenophobic Violence in Italy," documents the state's failure to take effective measures against hate crimes. Prosecutions for racially-motivated violence are rare, with Italian officials downplaying the extent of the problem and failing consistently to condemn attacks. Insufficient training of law enforcement and judiciary personnel and incomplete data collection compound the problem. At the same time, political rhetoric, government policies, and media coverage linking immigrants and Roma to crime have fueled an environment of intolerance.
"The government spends far more energy blaming migrants and Roma for Italy's problems than it does on efforts to stop violent attacks on them," said Judith Sunderland, senior Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The government's alarmist talk of an invasion of ‘biblical proportions' from North Africa is just the latest example of irresponsible rhetoric. Officials should be protecting migrants and Roma from attack." Cities across Italy have seen mob violence and individual attacks targeting migrants, Roma, and Italians of foreign descent. Mobs rampaged through Roma camps in Naples in May 2008 and assaulted African seasonal migrant workers in Rosarno, Calabria, in January 2010. A group of at least 15 people attacked a Bengali bar in Rome in March 2010.
Authorities recorded 142 hate crimes in the first nine months of 2009, but one Italian anti-racism organization registered 398 media reports of such crimes in roughly the same period, with 186 physical assaults (18 of which led to death). Individual attacks include the September 2008 murder of Abdoul Guiebre, an Italian of Burkina Faso origin bludgeoned to death on the street in Milan after a petty theft from a café; the brutal beating of a Chinese man in October 2008 as he waited for a bus in Rome; and the February 2009 attack on an Indian man in a town outside Rome, in which he was beaten, doused with gasoline, and set on fire.
Human Rights Watch also documented troubling cases of law enforcement abuse against Roma, during camp evictions and in the custody of police or Carabinieri (a Defense Ministry force that shares responsibility for civilian policing in Italy). Italian law provides for increased prison sentences for crimes aggravated by racial motivation, but the statute has yet to live up to its promise, Human Rights Watch said. The 1993 statute has often been interpreted by prosecutors and the courts only to apply to cases where racial hatred was the sole motivation, leaving serious racist crimes prosecuted as though they were ordinary offences. The state prosecuted Abdoul Guiebre's murder as an ordinary crime, for example, despite the racist insults uttered by the perpetrators during the attack. Crimes motivated by hatred over sexual orientation and gender identity are not covered at all.
The extreme violence against African seasonal migrant workers in Rosarno, Calabria, in January 2010, including drive-by shootings and three days of mob violence that left at least 11 migrants hospitalized with serious injuries, did not lead to prosecutions and convictions for racially-motivated crimes. Only three Italians were prosecuted and convicted in connection with the violence. Local residents and law enforcement officers also suffered injuries, some of them caused by migrants during riots against the mob attacks. Italian officials minimized the racist dimension of the violence in Rosarno, in keeping with a general tendency to call racially-motivated crimes rare. The Italian government does not collect or publish disaggregated statistics on crime reports or prosecutions. Authorities point to the low numbers of official complaints and prosecutions for racially motivated violence to argue that such violence is rare, ignoring underreporting and the failure of the authorities to correctly identify it.
"The Italian government likes to pretend that racist violence hardly ever happens," said Sunderland. "But if you are an Italian from an ethnic minority, Roma, or a migrant, the truth is it's all too common. Acknowledging the scale of the problem is a necessary condition for tackling it." A consequence of the authorities' failure to recognize these hate crimes as a significant problem is that law enforcement personnel and prosecutors do not receive systematic, specialized training in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting racist violence. Roma, the most vilified minority in Italy today, are especially at risk of harassment and mistreatment during camp evictions and in police or Carabinieri custody, Human Rights Watch said. With serious allegations of abuse by law enforcement personnel left uninvestigated, and virtual impunity for mob violence against Roma camps, many Roma have little or no faith in public institutions. "Many people, especially undocumented migrants and Roma, are just too scared to go the police," Sunderland said. "The government has to do much more to encourage reporting and build trust among these particularly vulnerable communities."
Political discourse and media coverage linking immigrants and Roma to crime has fueled a dangerous environment of intolerance in a country that has seen a dramatic increase in immigration over the past 10 years. Since 2008, the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in coalition with the openly anti-immigrant Northern League party, has adopted "emergency" decrees to pave the way for strong-handed measures against undocumented migrants and Roma, and passed a law making undocumented entry and stay in Italy a crime punishable by a hefty fine. Elected officials across the political spectrum have engaged in anti-immigrant and anti-Roma rhetoric.
This Human Rights Watch report contains concrete recommendations to the Italian government to strengthen its response to racist violence, including:
* Consistently and forcefully condemning, at the highest level, racist and xenophobic violence.
* Reforming criminal law to ensure that hate motivation can be applied even when perpetrators have mixed motives, and expanding the list of protected characteristics to include, at a minimum, sexual orientation and gender identity.
* Ensuring obligatory training for law enforcement personnel and public prosecutors on detecting, investigating, and prosecuting crimes motivated wholly or in part by racial, ethnic, or xenophobic bias.
* Collecting and routinely publishing comprehensive statistics on hate crimes.
Human Rights Watch
"The government spends far more energy blaming migrants and Roma for Italy's problems than it does on efforts to stop violent attacks on them," said Judith Sunderland, senior Western Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. "The government's alarmist talk of an invasion of ‘biblical proportions' from North Africa is just the latest example of irresponsible rhetoric. Officials should be protecting migrants and Roma from attack." Cities across Italy have seen mob violence and individual attacks targeting migrants, Roma, and Italians of foreign descent. Mobs rampaged through Roma camps in Naples in May 2008 and assaulted African seasonal migrant workers in Rosarno, Calabria, in January 2010. A group of at least 15 people attacked a Bengali bar in Rome in March 2010.
Authorities recorded 142 hate crimes in the first nine months of 2009, but one Italian anti-racism organization registered 398 media reports of such crimes in roughly the same period, with 186 physical assaults (18 of which led to death). Individual attacks include the September 2008 murder of Abdoul Guiebre, an Italian of Burkina Faso origin bludgeoned to death on the street in Milan after a petty theft from a café; the brutal beating of a Chinese man in October 2008 as he waited for a bus in Rome; and the February 2009 attack on an Indian man in a town outside Rome, in which he was beaten, doused with gasoline, and set on fire.
Human Rights Watch also documented troubling cases of law enforcement abuse against Roma, during camp evictions and in the custody of police or Carabinieri (a Defense Ministry force that shares responsibility for civilian policing in Italy). Italian law provides for increased prison sentences for crimes aggravated by racial motivation, but the statute has yet to live up to its promise, Human Rights Watch said. The 1993 statute has often been interpreted by prosecutors and the courts only to apply to cases where racial hatred was the sole motivation, leaving serious racist crimes prosecuted as though they were ordinary offences. The state prosecuted Abdoul Guiebre's murder as an ordinary crime, for example, despite the racist insults uttered by the perpetrators during the attack. Crimes motivated by hatred over sexual orientation and gender identity are not covered at all.
The extreme violence against African seasonal migrant workers in Rosarno, Calabria, in January 2010, including drive-by shootings and three days of mob violence that left at least 11 migrants hospitalized with serious injuries, did not lead to prosecutions and convictions for racially-motivated crimes. Only three Italians were prosecuted and convicted in connection with the violence. Local residents and law enforcement officers also suffered injuries, some of them caused by migrants during riots against the mob attacks. Italian officials minimized the racist dimension of the violence in Rosarno, in keeping with a general tendency to call racially-motivated crimes rare. The Italian government does not collect or publish disaggregated statistics on crime reports or prosecutions. Authorities point to the low numbers of official complaints and prosecutions for racially motivated violence to argue that such violence is rare, ignoring underreporting and the failure of the authorities to correctly identify it.
"The Italian government likes to pretend that racist violence hardly ever happens," said Sunderland. "But if you are an Italian from an ethnic minority, Roma, or a migrant, the truth is it's all too common. Acknowledging the scale of the problem is a necessary condition for tackling it." A consequence of the authorities' failure to recognize these hate crimes as a significant problem is that law enforcement personnel and prosecutors do not receive systematic, specialized training in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting racist violence. Roma, the most vilified minority in Italy today, are especially at risk of harassment and mistreatment during camp evictions and in police or Carabinieri custody, Human Rights Watch said. With serious allegations of abuse by law enforcement personnel left uninvestigated, and virtual impunity for mob violence against Roma camps, many Roma have little or no faith in public institutions. "Many people, especially undocumented migrants and Roma, are just too scared to go the police," Sunderland said. "The government has to do much more to encourage reporting and build trust among these particularly vulnerable communities."
Political discourse and media coverage linking immigrants and Roma to crime has fueled a dangerous environment of intolerance in a country that has seen a dramatic increase in immigration over the past 10 years. Since 2008, the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in coalition with the openly anti-immigrant Northern League party, has adopted "emergency" decrees to pave the way for strong-handed measures against undocumented migrants and Roma, and passed a law making undocumented entry and stay in Italy a crime punishable by a hefty fine. Elected officials across the political spectrum have engaged in anti-immigrant and anti-Roma rhetoric.
This Human Rights Watch report contains concrete recommendations to the Italian government to strengthen its response to racist violence, including:
* Consistently and forcefully condemning, at the highest level, racist and xenophobic violence.
* Reforming criminal law to ensure that hate motivation can be applied even when perpetrators have mixed motives, and expanding the list of protected characteristics to include, at a minimum, sexual orientation and gender identity.
* Ensuring obligatory training for law enforcement personnel and public prosecutors on detecting, investigating, and prosecuting crimes motivated wholly or in part by racial, ethnic, or xenophobic bias.
* Collecting and routinely publishing comprehensive statistics on hate crimes.
Human Rights Watch
EQUALITY COMMISSION TO FACE 'MAJOR SURGERY' (uk)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is expected to face a demand for "major surgery" when the Home Office publishes a consultation paper on its future. The commission, chaired by Trevor Phillips, survived October's "bonfire of the quangos" but ministers are expected to say on Tuesday they want its activities to be restricted to its core functions and the management of its finances to be sharply improved. It is expected to be stripped of responsibilities such as promoting social cohesion. The consultation is due to last only three months, with swift action to follow. The EHRC took over from the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission in 2007 to promote and enforce equality and anti-discrimination laws in England, Scotland and Wales.
Phillips told MPs this month that the commission had been considering "radical reform" over the past 12 months. The 630-strong staff has already been cut to 417 and is likely to be cut to between 200 and 250 over the next 18 months. Recent high-profile cases involving the commission, which have included successful legal action against the British National Party and support of legal action against the Christian owners of a Cornish guesthouse who refused to let a gay couple stay in a double room, have fuelled criticism among the Tory right. The commission's £53m budget for this financial year is already earmarked to fall to £45m for 2011/2012. The commission and the government's equalities office are due to share a much deeper cut by 2015.
The commission's helpline, its grant-making function and several of its offices are believed to be under threat. The civil service union PCS, which represents most of its staff, said ballot papers for industrial action were being sent out. Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said cuts on the scale being contemplated could mean employers and public authorities would no longer be held to account for discriminatory policies. He suggested the cuts could end the commission's legal work such as its support for Sharon Coleman, whose victory at the European court of justice ensured six million carers in Britain are protected against discrimination in employment. However, it is expected that the "strategic legal work" will remain an important part of the commission's future.
The commission said: "We plan to respond quickly to this consultation on our powers and duties so that other organisations are aware of our view of our future. It is too soon to comment until we have seen the proposals in detail. "The commission began its own review of its role and focus around 18 months ago, before the review of non-departmental bodies by the government. We are already talking to our staff and stakeholders about our vision for the commission's future and will continue to do so during this consultation and beyond." The commission saw a string of high-profile resignations from its board last year, including its finance director. Its 2008/09 accounts were qualified by the National Audit Office last July who said it had breached rules on pay rises for permanent staff and managed money badly.
The Guardian
Phillips told MPs this month that the commission had been considering "radical reform" over the past 12 months. The 630-strong staff has already been cut to 417 and is likely to be cut to between 200 and 250 over the next 18 months. Recent high-profile cases involving the commission, which have included successful legal action against the British National Party and support of legal action against the Christian owners of a Cornish guesthouse who refused to let a gay couple stay in a double room, have fuelled criticism among the Tory right. The commission's £53m budget for this financial year is already earmarked to fall to £45m for 2011/2012. The commission and the government's equalities office are due to share a much deeper cut by 2015.
The commission's helpline, its grant-making function and several of its offices are believed to be under threat. The civil service union PCS, which represents most of its staff, said ballot papers for industrial action were being sent out. Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said cuts on the scale being contemplated could mean employers and public authorities would no longer be held to account for discriminatory policies. He suggested the cuts could end the commission's legal work such as its support for Sharon Coleman, whose victory at the European court of justice ensured six million carers in Britain are protected against discrimination in employment. However, it is expected that the "strategic legal work" will remain an important part of the commission's future.
The commission said: "We plan to respond quickly to this consultation on our powers and duties so that other organisations are aware of our view of our future. It is too soon to comment until we have seen the proposals in detail. "The commission began its own review of its role and focus around 18 months ago, before the review of non-departmental bodies by the government. We are already talking to our staff and stakeholders about our vision for the commission's future and will continue to do so during this consultation and beyond." The commission saw a string of high-profile resignations from its board last year, including its finance director. Its 2008/09 accounts were qualified by the National Audit Office last July who said it had breached rules on pay rises for permanent staff and managed money badly.
The Guardian
Police defend giving white supremacists bus transportation (Canada)
City police are defending the decision to use a city bus to ferry a dozen white supremacists out of downtown after their march Saturday, saying it avoided a violent battle with anti-racism demonstrators.
On Monday, police faced criticism for using city services to transport the white supremacists, but say the transit vehicle was never a "courtesy bus" for a group called Blood and Honour.
Rather, police say it was a prearranged contingency tactic to evacuate anybody, be they protesters from either side or members of the public caught up in the demonstration.
Police spokesman Kevin Brookwell said officers loaded them onto the bus to avoid a violent confrontation with antiracist activists, who chased the vehicle down the road.
"If we had not extracted them when we did, we would have had a violent face to face, which would have defeated the whole purpose of what we had done up to that point," Brookwell said.
The explanation is of some consolation to Ald. John Mar, who raised his concerns over the use of the bus during a council meeting Monday. Still, the downtown alderman said he doesn't like how it played out from a moral standpoint.
"I'm still disappointed that we provided this transportation, but I understand the rationale as to why it was done," he said.
Others, however, aren't happy. One of the anti-racism leaders, Bonnie Devine, said the two groups were kept apart by police and safety wasn't necessarily an issue.
She said anti-racism demonstrators were there to be confrontational, but non-violent.
It is police prerogative to assess the situation, but she thinks their resources, and not a transit bus, should have been used to take the white supremacists away.
"I don't like that (the) city used any resources to help facilitate neo-Nazis in marching in our streets," Devine said.
Mar said the white supremacist group had originally chartered its own bus, but those plans fell apart when the company learned the identity of the people it was to drive around.
Police say there was some thought given to the police service chartering a bus from a private company, but that was ultimately turned down because of the cost to taxpayers.
Blood and Honour did not pay for the transit bus, according to Brookwell.
He said it is not uncommon in major events like this to use buses as contingencies: "We did not know the numbers that would arise until they actually amassed downtown."
The bus was operated by a transit peace officer, and Calgary police were not charged for the use.
"We sided on the side of safety, regardless of the group," said Brian Whitelaw, the head of transit security. "If there was a confrontation, we'd probably have ended up in the situation we were in several years ago where you've got the risk of property damage, and you've certainly got the risk of physical injury."
Whitelaw said without the bus, the white supremacists would likely have used regular modes of public transit to leave the downtown. This could have created serious problems as confrontation between two groups could have migrated onto the LRT and regulars buses, he said.
Calgary Herald
On Monday, police faced criticism for using city services to transport the white supremacists, but say the transit vehicle was never a "courtesy bus" for a group called Blood and Honour.
Rather, police say it was a prearranged contingency tactic to evacuate anybody, be they protesters from either side or members of the public caught up in the demonstration.
Police spokesman Kevin Brookwell said officers loaded them onto the bus to avoid a violent confrontation with antiracist activists, who chased the vehicle down the road.
"If we had not extracted them when we did, we would have had a violent face to face, which would have defeated the whole purpose of what we had done up to that point," Brookwell said.
The explanation is of some consolation to Ald. John Mar, who raised his concerns over the use of the bus during a council meeting Monday. Still, the downtown alderman said he doesn't like how it played out from a moral standpoint.
"I'm still disappointed that we provided this transportation, but I understand the rationale as to why it was done," he said.
Others, however, aren't happy. One of the anti-racism leaders, Bonnie Devine, said the two groups were kept apart by police and safety wasn't necessarily an issue.
She said anti-racism demonstrators were there to be confrontational, but non-violent.
It is police prerogative to assess the situation, but she thinks their resources, and not a transit bus, should have been used to take the white supremacists away.
"I don't like that (the) city used any resources to help facilitate neo-Nazis in marching in our streets," Devine said.
Mar said the white supremacist group had originally chartered its own bus, but those plans fell apart when the company learned the identity of the people it was to drive around.
Police say there was some thought given to the police service chartering a bus from a private company, but that was ultimately turned down because of the cost to taxpayers.
Blood and Honour did not pay for the transit bus, according to Brookwell.
He said it is not uncommon in major events like this to use buses as contingencies: "We did not know the numbers that would arise until they actually amassed downtown."
The bus was operated by a transit peace officer, and Calgary police were not charged for the use.
"We sided on the side of safety, regardless of the group," said Brian Whitelaw, the head of transit security. "If there was a confrontation, we'd probably have ended up in the situation we were in several years ago where you've got the risk of property damage, and you've certainly got the risk of physical injury."
Whitelaw said without the bus, the white supremacists would likely have used regular modes of public transit to leave the downtown. This could have created serious problems as confrontation between two groups could have migrated onto the LRT and regulars buses, he said.
Calgary Herald
Monday, 21 March 2011
Roma in Hungarian village terrorized by racist "National Guards"
"In Parliament they told me I'm a disaster tourist," says Gábor Vóna, chair of the opposition Party for a Better Hungary (Jobbik), which is radical, devious, and very far-right. On 15 March the party made the decision in Budapest for the Guard to target the village of Gyöngyöspata. "I don't deny that I was there with them. I both saw and heard a catastrophic situation," Vóna says.
***
The first person this reporter encountered in Gyöngyöspata was Piroska, an approximately 35-year-old woman standing by a house in the center of the Roma quarter. The Roma minority in this village lives in a separate section, in homes that are a bit more shoddy than the houses where the Hungarian majority lives, but there is neither chaos nor squalor there. Conditions overall are fairly orderly, at least as far as the houses and yards are concerned.
Piroska tells me that "THEY" march here every morning, singing their songs, and that at night "THEY" shine floodlights into her windows. This happens even though her family is considered one of the most proper in the village.
Who are "THEY"? They usually wear boots, and some are in camouflage, but the majority are in those black pants, white shirts and a black vest with "For a more beautiful future" inscribed across the back of the uniform. That is the name of their club for "protecting citizens", but in reality they are just ordinary fascist Guards, who have come here to terrorize the Roma population.
The leader of one such group, Tamás Eszes, claims they just wanted to see for themselves what was going on in the village, because they were receiving complaints that the Roma were stealing in large numbers and are impossible to live with. He and his people should have left town by now, but the Hungarian population allegedly demanded they stay. He claims the non-Roma people were glad some soldiers finally showed up.
When I ask Piroska what the local Hungarians think of the Guard, she says her fellow citizens are of two kinds: Those who are glad the Guard is there, and those who have had enough of them. Whether people are going to the store, to the doctor, or waiting for the bus, wherever they go, the "Guardists" are there in large numbers.
"I am not exaggerating: This is a state of apartheid," insists Aladár Horváth, the outraged head of a well-known Hungarian civic association for Roma rights and freedoms. He is surrounded by about 500 people, half of whom are members of various civic associations from Budapest, the other half of whom are local Roma people.
The aim of the gathering is to draw attention to the license being taking by the Guards and to the fact that the police - the only authority with the right to use force when crimes are being committed - is taking no action. To be more precise, the police are active when it is necessary to prosecute Roma people, let's say, for theft - then, they take action - but when an illegal squad of racists has been marching through a village for two weeks, the police do nothing.
The owner of the local bed-and-breakfast, Magdolna Bernáth, invites the activists from the capital to spend a year - or at least three days a week - in the village. If they come for just an hour or two, she says, they will not get a trustworthy image of the real situation in the village of Gyöngyöspata. When asked what the solution is, she has a simple answer: Everyone must work.
If you want to eat, you must make money - that is the local businesswoman's recipe. She doesn't say the "Gypsies" don't want to work, she just says there is a lot of fertile land in the village that would produce for anyone for free, but it continues to lie fallow.
The Roma children in the village, however, are enthusiastically reciting the most revolutionary work of Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi, because at this time of year the whole country marks the anniversary of the 1848 revolution. Everyone in Hungary knows these lines, even Roma children:
"God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee, We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!"
See the full Radiožurnál report in Czech: Maďarskou vesnici terorizují nacionalistické gardy.
Romea.cz
SARKOZY SUFFERS POLL SETBACK AS FAR-RIGHT CLOSES IN (France)
With 86 percent of votes counted, Interior Minister Claude Gueant said the president's center-right supporters had won 32.5 percent of the vote, with left-wing parties totaling 48 percent and Le Pen's anti-immigrant party polling 15 percent. However, polling institutes said Sarkozy's own UMP party scored just 16 percent, barely ahead of the National Front. The interior ministry did not issue any separate score for the UMP. The opposition Socialist party won about 25 percent with the hardline Left Front on 9 percent, ecologists on 8 percent and unaffiliated left-wing candidates with another 6 percent. "This may be the best result we have ever recorded in cantonal elections, which are not traditionally favorable to the National Front," Le Pen said on France 2 television. The vote showed people were turning their backs on decades of look-alike policies of center-right and center-left governments that had driven France into economic and social decline, she said.
The local elections, the last popular vote before next year's presidential election in which Sarkozy is expected to seek a second five-year term, confirmed Le Pen's breakthrough to stand neck-and-neck with other likely mainstream contenders. The decisive second round of the departmental elections for some 2,000 local councilors will be held next Sunday. Because the voting system favors alliances, the National Front is unlikely to win many seats since UMP leader Jean-Francois Cope reaffirmed that the mainstream conservatives would not back any far-right candidate. Turnout in the first round was at a record low of 45 percent, according to the interior ministry. One of the most unpopular presidents in recent history, Sarkozy has trailed left-wing rivals in opinion polls for months but he has now also fallen behind Le Pen in three surveys.
Typically, the National Front scores poorly in departmental elections, and Sunday's results were another indication that the far right is eating into Sarkozy's support due to exasperation over unemployment, living standards and immigration. Marine Le Pen, elected leader in January, has given the party a less abrasive image than her father Jean-Marie, who was convicted of inciting racial hatred and minimizing the Nazi Holocaust. While popular Socialist IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is keeping France guessing over whether he will run and Sarkozy has yet to formally announce his candidacy, Le Pen is already on the campaign trail. Her overtaking of Sarkozy has put conservatives on the defensive, insisting he is their best candidate.
Sarkozy's personal popularity ratings have slumped to around 29 percent in recent surveys taken before he put France in the vanguard of an international coalition to stop Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces attacking civilian protesters. A CSA poll this month credited Strauss-Kahn with 30 percent support in the first round of a presidential election, with Le Pen on 21 percent and Sarkozy 19 percent. A second, more recent Ipsos survey gave Strauss-Kahn 33 percent versus 19 for Le Pen and 18 percent for Sarkozy.
Reuters
The local elections, the last popular vote before next year's presidential election in which Sarkozy is expected to seek a second five-year term, confirmed Le Pen's breakthrough to stand neck-and-neck with other likely mainstream contenders. The decisive second round of the departmental elections for some 2,000 local councilors will be held next Sunday. Because the voting system favors alliances, the National Front is unlikely to win many seats since UMP leader Jean-Francois Cope reaffirmed that the mainstream conservatives would not back any far-right candidate. Turnout in the first round was at a record low of 45 percent, according to the interior ministry. One of the most unpopular presidents in recent history, Sarkozy has trailed left-wing rivals in opinion polls for months but he has now also fallen behind Le Pen in three surveys.
Typically, the National Front scores poorly in departmental elections, and Sunday's results were another indication that the far right is eating into Sarkozy's support due to exasperation over unemployment, living standards and immigration. Marine Le Pen, elected leader in January, has given the party a less abrasive image than her father Jean-Marie, who was convicted of inciting racial hatred and minimizing the Nazi Holocaust. While popular Socialist IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is keeping France guessing over whether he will run and Sarkozy has yet to formally announce his candidacy, Le Pen is already on the campaign trail. Her overtaking of Sarkozy has put conservatives on the defensive, insisting he is their best candidate.
Sarkozy's personal popularity ratings have slumped to around 29 percent in recent surveys taken before he put France in the vanguard of an international coalition to stop Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces attacking civilian protesters. A CSA poll this month credited Strauss-Kahn with 30 percent support in the first round of a presidential election, with Le Pen on 21 percent and Sarkozy 19 percent. A second, more recent Ipsos survey gave Strauss-Kahn 33 percent versus 19 for Le Pen and 18 percent for Sarkozy.
Reuters
Anti-Racism Week Starts in Finland
Finland is celebrating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today, on Monday, with several cities holding events to celebrate. The day kicks off an action week against racism.
The Red Cross is campaigning against racism in schools, workplaces, on the streets and on Facebook. They are handing out anti-racist pioneer awards and ’I am opposed to racism’ badges. An electronic version is also available on their Facebook page.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination can trace its roots to March 21 1960, to commemorate the Sharpeville massacre in which Apartheid-era South African police killed 69 people demonstrating peacefully against repressive laws.
Six years later the United Nations General Assembly declared the first International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Yle
The Red Cross is campaigning against racism in schools, workplaces, on the streets and on Facebook. They are handing out anti-racist pioneer awards and ’I am opposed to racism’ badges. An electronic version is also available on their Facebook page.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination can trace its roots to March 21 1960, to commemorate the Sharpeville massacre in which Apartheid-era South African police killed 69 people demonstrating peacefully against repressive laws.
Six years later the United Nations General Assembly declared the first International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Yle
March 21st is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Since then, the apartheid system in South Africa has been dismantled. Racist laws and practices have been abolished in many countries, and we have built an international framework for fighting racism, guided by the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Convention is now nearing universal ratification, yet still, in all regions, too many individuals, communities and societies suffer from the injustice and stigma that racism brings.
The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reminds us of our collective responsibility for promoting and protecting this ideal.
United Nations Website
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Czech Police may handle neo-Nazi march in Brno differently than Nový Bydžov (Czech Rep)
Yesterday Police President Petr Lessy told the Czech Press Agency that police are preparing massive security measures in relation to the announced 1 May meeting of the Workers' Youth (Dělnická mládež - DM) in Brno. Lessy emphasized that officers would be brought in to ensure order not only from South Moravia, but also from other regions.
The police president claims he intends to proceed so that the extremists understand that "things will not be rosy for them" in Brno. Lessy's claim comes less than a week after police cleared the way for neo-Nazis who were breaking the law to march through Nový Bydžov after using mounted officers to brutally disperse counter-demonstrators.
The police leadership is said to be displeased that the radicals have been regularly organizing 1 May events in the city rather frequently. "We do not want Brno to become a war zone, but we will not tolerate displays of substandard behavior," said Tomáš Kužel, the South Moravian Regional Police chief.
The DM is connected to the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS), whose predecessor was the recently dissolved Workers' Party (Dělnická strana - DS). The Supreme Administrative Court ended the DS activity because of its members' radical approaches.
Two years ago, the DS convened a 1 May demonstration in Brno. The court subsequently handed down suspended sentences and fines to their entire leadership for the radical statements made by its members at that event.
The DM has announced two events for 1 May of this year in the center of Brno. Local authorities did not grant permission for either of them. Court disputes over those events ended in a cassation complaint to the Supreme Administrative Court, which recently overturned the municipal decision that one of the events could not be held.
According to many nonprofit organizations, police totally failed during the most recent extremist event in Nový Bydžov. They did not manage to protect local Roma people and dispersed a peaceful counter-demonstration in a brutal way. Organizations such as the Czech Helsinki Committee and ROMEA say police took no action while extremists violated the law.
Romea
The police president claims he intends to proceed so that the extremists understand that "things will not be rosy for them" in Brno. Lessy's claim comes less than a week after police cleared the way for neo-Nazis who were breaking the law to march through Nový Bydžov after using mounted officers to brutally disperse counter-demonstrators.
The police leadership is said to be displeased that the radicals have been regularly organizing 1 May events in the city rather frequently. "We do not want Brno to become a war zone, but we will not tolerate displays of substandard behavior," said Tomáš Kužel, the South Moravian Regional Police chief.
The DM is connected to the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS), whose predecessor was the recently dissolved Workers' Party (Dělnická strana - DS). The Supreme Administrative Court ended the DS activity because of its members' radical approaches.
Two years ago, the DS convened a 1 May demonstration in Brno. The court subsequently handed down suspended sentences and fines to their entire leadership for the radical statements made by its members at that event.
The DM has announced two events for 1 May of this year in the center of Brno. Local authorities did not grant permission for either of them. Court disputes over those events ended in a cassation complaint to the Supreme Administrative Court, which recently overturned the municipal decision that one of the events could not be held.
According to many nonprofit organizations, police totally failed during the most recent extremist event in Nový Bydžov. They did not manage to protect local Roma people and dispersed a peaceful counter-demonstration in a brutal way. Organizations such as the Czech Helsinki Committee and ROMEA say police took no action while extremists violated the law.
Romea
Hundreds attend peaceful rally to counter neo-Nazi event in Claremont (USA)
Hundreds of people attended a rally Saturday against hate. The Claremont for Peace rally was held at Memorial Park to counter a neo-Nazi rally by the National Socialist Movement. About 30 people attended the neo-Nazi rally, police said.
The neo-Nazi event was held at Foothill and Indian Hill boulevards.
The white supremacist demonstrators rallied for an hour and a half to oppose illegal-immigrant enrollment at the nearby Claremont Colleges.
Between 300 and 500 counterdemonstrators rallied nearby. Between 200 and 300 others held a separate peace rally in opposition to the white supremacists in a park four blocks away.
About 110 officers were deployed at the white supremacist rally. There were no arrests and no reported injuries or property damage.
In an email before the event, Claremont for Peace said it had called the rally "in the name of peace, celebrating social justice, love and intercultural understanding."
The group is an ad-hoc collective formed to create an organized response to the National Socialist Movement's hateful messages, the group stated.
Southern California Public Radio
The neo-Nazi event was held at Foothill and Indian Hill boulevards.
The white supremacist demonstrators rallied for an hour and a half to oppose illegal-immigrant enrollment at the nearby Claremont Colleges.
Between 300 and 500 counterdemonstrators rallied nearby. Between 200 and 300 others held a separate peace rally in opposition to the white supremacists in a park four blocks away.
About 110 officers were deployed at the white supremacist rally. There were no arrests and no reported injuries or property damage.
In an email before the event, Claremont for Peace said it had called the rally "in the name of peace, celebrating social justice, love and intercultural understanding."
The group is an ad-hoc collective formed to create an organized response to the National Socialist Movement's hateful messages, the group stated.
Southern California Public Radio
Saturday, 19 March 2011
America gets a jarring wake-up call on Islamophobia by Adel Syed and Lana Daoud (Opinion, USA)
Last month, the Islamic Circle of North America Relief (ICNA) sponsored a fundraising dinner in Yorba Linda, California to raise money for women’s shelters and hunger relief across the United States. Families, including young children and elders, arrived to the event, and attempted to remain unscathed by epithets being shouted at them by angry protesters. The widely viewed video documenting the event speaks for itself.
Nonviolent protests, to be clear, are a civil right and valid expression, but the vitriol that attendants were subjected to during the ICNA event is symptomatic of a larger ailment. It is not only indicative of a growing gap of understanding, but a legitimization of fear and paranoia evident in the words of the protesters, and even in speeches by two U.S. congressman, Ed Royce and Gary Miller, and Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly.
The protest rally – sponsored by local Orange County conservative group ACT! for America, and Pamela Geller’s Stop Islamization of America (now designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) – initially took issue with a single speaker at the ICNA fundraiser. But it was their choice of hateful language and insults against Muslims that has since caused the uproar.
The shock of such hate is still palpable, and nearly a month after it took place, the protest has served as a wakeup call. People of all faiths and backgrounds across the country showered the Council on American Islamic Relations-Greater Los Angeles Area (CAIR-LA) with e-mails and phone calls of support, some even crying, showing their solidarity with Muslim-Americans. The heartfelt messages were followed by eager questions: “What can I do? I want to do something, but don’t know where to start.”
The protests have served as a catalyst for dialogue, whereby those who have been working together across various faith communities at a grassroots level can now bring people together for the real discussion. Muslim-Americans have been aware of, indeed feared, the escalation of threatening rhetoric since the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, only after the YouTube video of the protest at the ICNA event permeated the blogosphere did those who had been on the fence decide that enough was enough.
Americans are not a monolithic group, but a diverse nation that can work together. There are steps that can be taken to move toward inclusiveness and greater civility toward one another. Some steps that concerned citizens can take to involve local authorities and create positive change include contacting members of Congress to ensure they know their constituency is represented by diverse voices; or reaching out to local places of worship or organizations to encourage outreach among various faith communities.
This spring, CAIR-LA is organizing a conference to provide necessary leadership skills to encourage civic engagement among Muslim-Americans. In addition, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department initiated an engagement process with Muslim-American community leaders through the Muslim American Homeland Security Congress, a community partnership in which law enforcement, Muslim-American leaders and youth throughout the Los Angeles area work together to keep communities engaged with one another. Such programs can serve as a model across America for people of diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal of building a balanced society.
The American collective conscience has always been able to differentiate between a few who seek to marginalize and scapegoat a particular community and the majority that values pluralism. The outpouring of support from across religious and ethnic communities is a testament to the belief in equality for all.
The late U.S. President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ultimately America’s answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.” Muslim-Americans have been part of the American fabric since the 18th century, and continue to make contributions to society. Muslim-Americans are well represented in the armed forces, and serve as doctors, engineers, and school teachers in America’s classrooms.
Ensuring that America continues to be a model of inclusiveness can only occur when Muslim-Americans are seen as fellow neighbors to engage with, not outsiders to be shouted at, or altogether avoided.
Adel Syed is the government relations coordinator and Lana Daoud is the development coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area. THE DAILY STAR publishes this commentary in collaboration with the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).
Daily Star
Nonviolent protests, to be clear, are a civil right and valid expression, but the vitriol that attendants were subjected to during the ICNA event is symptomatic of a larger ailment. It is not only indicative of a growing gap of understanding, but a legitimization of fear and paranoia evident in the words of the protesters, and even in speeches by two U.S. congressman, Ed Royce and Gary Miller, and Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly.
The protest rally – sponsored by local Orange County conservative group ACT! for America, and Pamela Geller’s Stop Islamization of America (now designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center) – initially took issue with a single speaker at the ICNA fundraiser. But it was their choice of hateful language and insults against Muslims that has since caused the uproar.
The shock of such hate is still palpable, and nearly a month after it took place, the protest has served as a wakeup call. People of all faiths and backgrounds across the country showered the Council on American Islamic Relations-Greater Los Angeles Area (CAIR-LA) with e-mails and phone calls of support, some even crying, showing their solidarity with Muslim-Americans. The heartfelt messages were followed by eager questions: “What can I do? I want to do something, but don’t know where to start.”
The protests have served as a catalyst for dialogue, whereby those who have been working together across various faith communities at a grassroots level can now bring people together for the real discussion. Muslim-Americans have been aware of, indeed feared, the escalation of threatening rhetoric since the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, only after the YouTube video of the protest at the ICNA event permeated the blogosphere did those who had been on the fence decide that enough was enough.
Americans are not a monolithic group, but a diverse nation that can work together. There are steps that can be taken to move toward inclusiveness and greater civility toward one another. Some steps that concerned citizens can take to involve local authorities and create positive change include contacting members of Congress to ensure they know their constituency is represented by diverse voices; or reaching out to local places of worship or organizations to encourage outreach among various faith communities.
This spring, CAIR-LA is organizing a conference to provide necessary leadership skills to encourage civic engagement among Muslim-Americans. In addition, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department initiated an engagement process with Muslim-American community leaders through the Muslim American Homeland Security Congress, a community partnership in which law enforcement, Muslim-American leaders and youth throughout the Los Angeles area work together to keep communities engaged with one another. Such programs can serve as a model across America for people of diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal of building a balanced society.
The American collective conscience has always been able to differentiate between a few who seek to marginalize and scapegoat a particular community and the majority that values pluralism. The outpouring of support from across religious and ethnic communities is a testament to the belief in equality for all.
The late U.S. President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ultimately America’s answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.” Muslim-Americans have been part of the American fabric since the 18th century, and continue to make contributions to society. Muslim-Americans are well represented in the armed forces, and serve as doctors, engineers, and school teachers in America’s classrooms.
Ensuring that America continues to be a model of inclusiveness can only occur when Muslim-Americans are seen as fellow neighbors to engage with, not outsiders to be shouted at, or altogether avoided.
Adel Syed is the government relations coordinator and Lana Daoud is the development coordinator for the Council on American Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area. THE DAILY STAR publishes this commentary in collaboration with the Common Ground News Service (www.commongroundnews.org).
Daily Star
White supremacist gets 60 days in jail for threats (Canada)
Self-professed white supremacist Kyle Robert McKee has been sentenced to 60 days in jail after pleading guilty Thursday to three criminal charges -including what Crown prosecutor Janice Rea called "racist motivated threats."
McKee, 25, pleaded guilty to uttering threats and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public in connection with an incident on Feb. 13, and for assaulting a woman at a prior party.
Rea said McKee made the threats when he confronted Jason Divine, who was driving through the southwest neighbourhood and hanging posters, identifying McKee as a member of a neo-Nazi group.
She said McKee made reference in the threats to whether or not Divine needed another visit, alluding to a home invasion last Nov. 8.
No charges have ever been laid in connection with that incident, Rea noted.
Provincial court Judge John Bascom accepted a joint submission for the 60-day total sentence, less credit for 33 days already served. McKee also must provide a DNA sample.
McKee had two attempted murder charges dropped last May in connection with a homemade bomb being planted outside a condo.
Calgary Herald
McKee, 25, pleaded guilty to uttering threats and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public in connection with an incident on Feb. 13, and for assaulting a woman at a prior party.
Rea said McKee made the threats when he confronted Jason Divine, who was driving through the southwest neighbourhood and hanging posters, identifying McKee as a member of a neo-Nazi group.
She said McKee made reference in the threats to whether or not Divine needed another visit, alluding to a home invasion last Nov. 8.
No charges have ever been laid in connection with that incident, Rea noted.
Provincial court Judge John Bascom accepted a joint submission for the 60-day total sentence, less credit for 33 days already served. McKee also must provide a DNA sample.
McKee had two attempted murder charges dropped last May in connection with a homemade bomb being planted outside a condo.
Calgary Herald
CALLS MOUNT FOR PROBE AFTER ATTACK ON ROMA CAMP (Albania)
The OSCE, US and EU ambassadors in Tirana have called for an investigation after a Roma camp on the outskirts of Tirana was burned down three weeks ago by perpetrators who have not yet been found.
“We strongly urge the responsible authorities to take the appropriate action by investigating the disturbing February events in order to ensure that such acts are not repeated,” the three ambassadors said in a statement. “We also encourage the authorities to take the appropriate action to provide necessary social assistance, including housing, to those people who have now found themselves homeless,” the statement added. Some dwellers in the camp, which was home to roughly 40 families, told local media the attackers arrived at night and beat them with sticks while setting fire to their barracks over several days, pressuring them to relocate. The residents of the camps say the police failed to prevent the attacks and provide protection for the families, who now have moved to live in settlements in Tirana and other cities. Police denied on Friday that they had disregarded the laws against discrimination of minorities and the protection of children while dealing with the case. According to the police statement, the Roma “initiated the conflict” with their neighbors, which then escalated. “We have questioned the Roma about the fire that swept their dwelling but they have refused to testify,” read the statement.
According to the Union for Albanian Roma, a Tirana-based NGO, up to 150,000 Roma people live in Albania, part of a community that struggles with discrimination, poor literacy rates and massive unemployment. The ambassadors reminded the Albanian government that it committed itself to the objectives of the Declaration of the Decade of Roma Inclusion and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. The statement also underlined that the fight against discrimination and the protection of the rights of Roma is one the twelve key priority areas needing particular attention, set forth by the European Commission as precondition for Albania to be granted EU candidate status.
Balkan Insight
“We strongly urge the responsible authorities to take the appropriate action by investigating the disturbing February events in order to ensure that such acts are not repeated,” the three ambassadors said in a statement. “We also encourage the authorities to take the appropriate action to provide necessary social assistance, including housing, to those people who have now found themselves homeless,” the statement added. Some dwellers in the camp, which was home to roughly 40 families, told local media the attackers arrived at night and beat them with sticks while setting fire to their barracks over several days, pressuring them to relocate. The residents of the camps say the police failed to prevent the attacks and provide protection for the families, who now have moved to live in settlements in Tirana and other cities. Police denied on Friday that they had disregarded the laws against discrimination of minorities and the protection of children while dealing with the case. According to the police statement, the Roma “initiated the conflict” with their neighbors, which then escalated. “We have questioned the Roma about the fire that swept their dwelling but they have refused to testify,” read the statement.
According to the Union for Albanian Roma, a Tirana-based NGO, up to 150,000 Roma people live in Albania, part of a community that struggles with discrimination, poor literacy rates and massive unemployment. The ambassadors reminded the Albanian government that it committed itself to the objectives of the Declaration of the Decade of Roma Inclusion and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. The statement also underlined that the fight against discrimination and the protection of the rights of Roma is one the twelve key priority areas needing particular attention, set forth by the European Commission as precondition for Albania to be granted EU candidate status.
Balkan Insight
'SUPREME COURT PAVED THE WAY FOR CONVICTION OF WILDERS' (Netherlands)
The accounting that Corstens is said to want to effect arose after Wilders sharply criticised the functioning of the judiciary last October, promoted by his own court case. About a week later, Corstens criticised the statements of the PVV leader on TV programme Buitenhof. According to the lawyer, Wilders undermined confidence in independent jurisprudence with his remarks. Wilders' lawyer Bram Moszkowicz also has doubts on the course of events. He said that his clients is "not amused." Moszkowicz considers it disquieting that members of the Supreme Court make statements about Wilders while his case might still come up there at a later stage. Moszkowicz also referred in this connection to last year's leaked memorandum by Diederik Aben, Solicitor-General to the Supreme Court. In this, Aben termed it wrong that lower courts honoured the request by Wilders to have the judges hearing his case replaced due to the appearance of bias. Wilders is currently on trial for incitement to hatred and defamation of Muslims. The case concerns statements that he made outside parliment, as within parliament, he enjoys immunity.
Nis News
TOWN RESIDENTS SIGN PETITION SUPPORTING RIGHT-WING CIVIC GUARD GROUP (Hungary)
Over 1,000 residents of Gyöngyöspata , Heves county, signed a manifesto demanding the operation of the far-right Civil Guard For a More Beautiful Future, citing a lack of public safety, on Wednesday afternoon. Local residents say the police, local government and local civil guard have been unable to enforce order for a number of years. Mayor László Tábi said "we recognise the presence of the civil guard in the village as long as it operates under lawful frameworks." No local Roma attended the village meeting, but relayed a message that said "let police jail the Gypsies who are criminals but all 300 local Gypsies should not be punished." Civil guard members left Gyöngyöspata on Thursday evening, police announced. Heves county police and emergency police are continuing their stepped up patrols of the village.
Politics Hu
Politics Hu
Oldham woman jailed over 'disfigured face' hate attack (UK)
A woman who attacked another woman because she had a facial disfigurement has been jailed for eight months.
Rachel Rooney, 31, of Capesthorne Drive, Oldham, taunted Chantelle Richardson - who has arteriovenous malformation - before punching her.
Ms Richardson's condition means she has an irregular connection between veins and arteries. Trauma to the nose could lead to bleeding and severe strokes.
The judge at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court agreed it was a hate crime.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
No-one should be subject to the violence and verbal abuse that Chantelle experienced”
End Quote Rebecca Radcliffe CPS lawyer
Rooney had admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing.
'Example to others'
But, on Thursday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) asked the judge to consider the attack as a hate crime and increase her sentence, using Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act.
After the sentencing, Ms Richardson said: "Today's result is an important one both for me personally and for disfigured people in society.
"I hope this will be recognised as an example to others - it is unacceptable to bully, abuse and taunt people who look different and I hope it gives other disfigured people the confidence to go out in public without fear of prejudice."
CPS lawyer Rebecca Radcliffe said: "This was a completely unprovoked attack on a young woman who was simply minding her own business and enjoying the company of her friends.
"In our view, Rooney's actions were clearly motivated by hostility towards Chantelle's disability."
BBC News
Rachel Rooney, 31, of Capesthorne Drive, Oldham, taunted Chantelle Richardson - who has arteriovenous malformation - before punching her.
Ms Richardson's condition means she has an irregular connection between veins and arteries. Trauma to the nose could lead to bleeding and severe strokes.
The judge at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court agreed it was a hate crime.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
No-one should be subject to the violence and verbal abuse that Chantelle experienced”
End Quote Rebecca Radcliffe CPS lawyer
Rooney had admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing.
'Example to others'
But, on Thursday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) asked the judge to consider the attack as a hate crime and increase her sentence, using Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act.
After the sentencing, Ms Richardson said: "Today's result is an important one both for me personally and for disfigured people in society.
"I hope this will be recognised as an example to others - it is unacceptable to bully, abuse and taunt people who look different and I hope it gives other disfigured people the confidence to go out in public without fear of prejudice."
CPS lawyer Rebecca Radcliffe said: "This was a completely unprovoked attack on a young woman who was simply minding her own business and enjoying the company of her friends.
"In our view, Rooney's actions were clearly motivated by hostility towards Chantelle's disability."
BBC News
Producer is suspended in TV drama racism row (UK)
It is the TV programme which made Thame and Haddenham famous across the country but a racism storm has now put the future of Midsomer Murders in doubt.
Producer Brian True-May, who brought the show to Thame, was suspended this week for refusing to include ethnic minority actors in the show.
He believed that it wouldn’t ‘truly reflect rural towns like Thame’ to have such diversity in the programme.
The comments came out in an interview with The Radio Times where he said: “We just don’t have ethnic minorities involved. Because it wouldn’t be the English village with them.
“It just wouldn’t work. Suddenly we might be in Slough.
“We’re the last bastion of Englishness and I want to keep it that way.”
Mr True-May has received some sympathy from the town’s deputy mayor Don Butler.
He said: “I think that he has been treated a little unfairly as he is entitled to his own opinion.
“But it is fair to say that there is some ethnic minorities living in Thame.”
A pathway has been set up in the town based on the fictional show, which passes several places featured throughout the years.
Historic landmarks such as the 16th Century Spread Eagle Hotel has been featured on the programme, as has some of the independent shops and tea rooms.
But it is not yet known if anymore episodes of Midsomer Murders will be filmed. The decision is in the hands of the chiefs at ITV, who are still yet to decide Mr True-May’s fate.
In response to the interview, an ITV spokesman said the broadcaster was “shocked and appalled” at the comments. In the 14 series of the programme, only a single ethnic minority character has appeared .
Thame Today
Producer Brian True-May, who brought the show to Thame, was suspended this week for refusing to include ethnic minority actors in the show.
He believed that it wouldn’t ‘truly reflect rural towns like Thame’ to have such diversity in the programme.
The comments came out in an interview with The Radio Times where he said: “We just don’t have ethnic minorities involved. Because it wouldn’t be the English village with them.
“It just wouldn’t work. Suddenly we might be in Slough.
“We’re the last bastion of Englishness and I want to keep it that way.”
Mr True-May has received some sympathy from the town’s deputy mayor Don Butler.
He said: “I think that he has been treated a little unfairly as he is entitled to his own opinion.
“But it is fair to say that there is some ethnic minorities living in Thame.”
A pathway has been set up in the town based on the fictional show, which passes several places featured throughout the years.
Historic landmarks such as the 16th Century Spread Eagle Hotel has been featured on the programme, as has some of the independent shops and tea rooms.
But it is not yet known if anymore episodes of Midsomer Murders will be filmed. The decision is in the hands of the chiefs at ITV, who are still yet to decide Mr True-May’s fate.
In response to the interview, an ITV spokesman said the broadcaster was “shocked and appalled” at the comments. In the 14 series of the programme, only a single ethnic minority character has appeared .
Thame Today
Drunk fined for racist abuse in kebab shop (UK)
A drunk man screamed racist abuse at staff in his local takeaway after they refused to give him a free meal, a court heard.
William McNeill also shouted "Al-Qaida" at workers in the kebab shop.
McNeill, 42, appeared for sentence at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday. He had earlier pleaded guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner and using racially offensive language towards restaurant worker Hazim Hashim on February 27 this year.
Sheriff Donald Muirhead fined McNeill £500.
He told him: "The court has a job to teach people not to behave in a racially aggravated manner the way that you did."
Stewart Peebles, defending, said the accused had visited the busy restaurant many times before without any problems.
"He works as an HGV driver abroad with people from all nationalities and places and he has no difficulty with them whatsoever. He was very drunk on this occasion and has little recollection of anything."
News Scotsman
William McNeill also shouted "Al-Qaida" at workers in the kebab shop.
McNeill, 42, appeared for sentence at Livingston Sheriff Court yesterday. He had earlier pleaded guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner and using racially offensive language towards restaurant worker Hazim Hashim on February 27 this year.
Sheriff Donald Muirhead fined McNeill £500.
He told him: "The court has a job to teach people not to behave in a racially aggravated manner the way that you did."
Stewart Peebles, defending, said the accused had visited the busy restaurant many times before without any problems.
"He works as an HGV driver abroad with people from all nationalities and places and he has no difficulty with them whatsoever. He was very drunk on this occasion and has little recollection of anything."
News Scotsman
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