Annual Report 2014 - Discrimination and the Roma community

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Cases of discrimination in the media
19. National. The media. Direct discrimination. On 18 February 2013 the NGOs belonging to the State Council
of the Roma People and the Roma Cultural Institute, along with other groups and social organizations, released a
communiqué denouncing the series called “Roma word of honour” broadcast on channel 4 television.
We felt the need to inform society in general and the media in particular of our common view regarding a pro-
gramme that we believe gives a sensationalist, superficial, stereotypical and biased view of the Roma people,
belittling their ancient culture and its wide-ranging diversity.
It undermines the enormous efforts that institutions and organizations of all kinds have been making to overco-
me a historical situation of discrimination and inequality vis-à-vis the majority society. We believe the undigni-
fied way the programme depicts children and Roma women to be particularly serious.
The sensationalist and lurid generalisations made by “Roma word of honour” are completely inappropriate, es-
pecially considering that what is at stake is nothing less than the social image of a vulnerable minority such as
the Roma.
The member NGOs of the State Council of the Roma People lodged complaints before the following bodies:
- the director of the Channel Four Television
- the Audiovisual Council of Andalusia
- the Audiovisual Council of Catalonia
- the Audiovisual Council of Navarre
- the Ombudsman
- the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality
Along with the numerous complaints a legal assessment of the case was made. When it comes to how Roma are
portrayed in certain media, the defence of non-discrimination is at loggerheads with the defence of the freedom
of information, even if the latter is detrimental to the right to equality and dignity of the Roma people.
20. National. Internet. Direct discrimination. The FSG’s Alert Service informed us of Twitter comments and a
website posting xenophobic and racist remarks about Roma:
Anti gitanos @Anti_Gitan0s 6h
“MESTIZOS, SONS OF BITCHES, YOU ARE A DISEASE INFECTING ARYAN PURITY. WE SHOULD FO-
LLOW THE EXAMPLE OF HUNGARY AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES”
We contacted the administrator of the account requesting the removal of these racist comments that incite
hatred towards the Roma community as a whole. We filed a complaint against that Twitter account and the user
was blocked.
21. National. Internet. Direct discrimination. The FSG’s Alert Service informed us of a webpage link to racist and
xenophobic material attacking the image and dignity of the Roma community.
EXCERPTS FROM THIS RACIST, ANTI-ROMA WEB PAGE CALLED “Gypsy criminals”
The home page of the blog features an open invitation to all members and users of the page in question to
“speak ill” of the Roma community in general and must thus be considered as an incitement to hatred of the
Roma community.