Roma Expelled from Romanian Capital

10 July 2002

According to an April 14, 2002, report of the Romanian weekly electronic bulletin Roma News, on April 13, 2002, three hundred Roma were expelled from the Piscul Crăsani neighbourhood of Bucharest, to the Bolintin region of Giurgiu County, from which most had originally come. According to the March 29, 2002 edition of Inforrom, the electronic publication of the Romani organisation Aven Amentza, the Romani group had originally left the Bolintin area in 1991, following mob violence against them. In 1991, at least 22 Romani houses were set on fire in the town of Bolintin Deal and Romani inhabitants in the area were forcibly expelled (for background information on this case see: Lynching is not a crime: mob violence against Roma in post-Ceauşescu Romania ). Inforrom quoted Mr Cristian Popescu, an official with Bucharest's 6th District Mayor's Office, as having stated prior to the expulsion that, "Carts are not allowed in Bucharest. If they (Roma) return, I will burn their carts and make salami from their dogs." According to Inforrom, the Romani group had incurred fines of approximately 70 million Romanian lei (approximately 2,300 euros) for entering Bucharest's city centre with carts. Mr Popescu was further reported in the electronic bulletin Roma News on April 14, 2002, as having stated that a police car escorted the Roma back to Bolintin Deal and that the group is prohibited from entering Bucharest. According to the article, police checkpoints are to be set up at the edge of Bucharest to prohibit the Roma from returning.

(Inforrom, Roma News)