Protests turn to anti-Roma violence

Threats and abuse towards Romas (Gypsies) the village of Jabuka, near Pančevo, north of Belgrade, have been ongoing for days, say reports.

Izvor: B92

Tuesday, 15.06.2010.

09:17

Default images

Threats and abuse towards Romas (Gypsies) the village of Jabuka, near Pancevo, north of Belgrade, have been ongoing for days, say reports. Protests began after 17 year-old Dejan S. was murdered. Police have a Roma, also 17, in custody, in suspicion that he committed the murder. Protests turn to anti-Roma violence In the wake of the murder, police have already arrested five people suspected of spreading racial, religious and ethnic hate. Police have been protecting the Roma in Jabuka for several days now. Locals have been verbally abusing the Roma and throwing stones at their homes over the last several days on a regular basis. Every night, the non-Roma residents of the village gather in front of the village school for what they call peaceful protests, but some local administration and the Roma calling the gatherings racist and nationalist. Pancevo Police Chief Zvezdav Radojkovic said that police were ready to react at any moment and that they, joined by Gendarmerie, were in front of every Roma household offering protection. “The number of villagers gathering is increasing. We now have a situation where the incident (the murder) is being forgotten and (the protesters) are now trying solve local communal problems. We are trying to talk to these people and to tell them that police are here not only to investigate, but also to stop further incidents from occurring,” he said. Pancevo Mayor Vesna Martinovic also visited the village. “We came to Jabuka in order to try and decrease the tensions through talks, to stress the unfortunate nature of the tragedy that occurred and to stop such a tragedy for occurring again on a larger scale, and the number of people that is coming out every night to protest points in that direction,” she said. The murder of Dejan S. by a Roma boy his age was made public last week, with reports that he was killed over a pair of stolen sneakers and disoaraging messages on the social networking website Facebook. The locals said that they would only talk to the mayor and Radojkovic if those arrested for supporting inter-ethnic tensions were released from prison, which was refused. There was no protest held on Monday night, with increased police presence in the village now, Gendarmerie included. Police in the village last night (B92)

Protests turn to anti-Roma violence

In the wake of the murder, police have already arrested five people suspected of spreading racial, religious and ethnic hate.

Police have been protecting the Roma in Jabuka for several days now. Locals have been verbally abusing the Roma and throwing stones at their homes over the last several days on a regular basis.

Every night, the non-Roma residents of the village gather in front of the village school for what they call peaceful protests, but some local administration and the Roma calling the gatherings racist and nationalist.

Pančevo Police Chief Zvezdav Radojković said that police were ready to react at any moment and that they, joined by Gendarmerie, were in front of every Roma household offering protection.

“The number of villagers gathering is increasing. We now have a situation where the incident (the murder) is being forgotten and (the protesters) are now trying solve local communal problems. We are trying to talk to these people and to tell them that police are here not only to investigate, but also to stop further incidents from occurring,” he said.

Pančevo Mayor Vesna Martinović also visited the village.

“We came to Jabuka in order to try and decrease the tensions through talks, to stress the unfortunate nature of the tragedy that occurred and to stop such a tragedy for occurring again on a larger scale, and the number of people that is coming out every night to protest points in that direction,” she said.

The murder of Dejan S. by a Roma boy his age was made public last week, with reports that he was killed over a pair of stolen sneakers and disoaraging messages on the social networking website Facebook.

The locals said that they would only talk to the mayor and Radojković if those arrested for supporting inter-ethnic tensions were released from prison, which was refused.

There was no protest held on Monday night, with increased police presence in the village now, Gendarmerie included.

Komentari 10

Pogledaj komentare

10 Komentari

Možda vas zanima

Podeli: