Annual Report 2014 - Discrimination and the Roma community

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Cases of discrimination in other areas
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18. Seville. Other. Direct discrimination. The Documentation Centre of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano sent us
this link from a digital newspaper in Andalusia that published an interview with the Regional Minister of Health and
Social Welfare of Andalusia who made the following statement which appeared in the headline:
“The best guarantee of equality in health-care is if the banker is sleeping next to the Gypsy’s bed.”
do- al-lado-de-la-cama-del-gitano/
Political representatives should be more aware of the damage they cause with statements such as these.
19. Jerez. Other. Direct discrimination. The Diario de Jerez newspaper published statements made by the presi-
dent of the Jerez football club: “we are not vandals and we are not Gypsies.”
The Equality Department sent a letter of complaint to the football club about the president’s statements becau-
se with these words he was identifying the entire Roma community with vandalism and delinquency.
That had a positive effect. Shortly after receiving our complaint he publicly apologised saying: “I have many
Roma friends and it was not my intention to offend anyone and if I did, I apologise.”
20. Malaga. Other. Direct discrimination. The weekly publication called “El Comarcal”, part of a Malaga newspaper,
published an interview with the PSOE spokesperson in Malaga. When the spokesperson was asked about the
employment scheme implemented by the government he said: “PP presented itself to the voters as the party
of employment, the party that defended the workers; with all due respect, that’s as absurd as a Gypsy wearing
a civil guard uniform.”
The Equality Department sent a letter of complaint to the spokesperson advising him that public figures should
defend ethnic minorities and not make comments which tarnish the image of the Roma community. Shortly
thereafter, the spokesperson did apologise for his unfortunate comments about the Roma community.
21. Cuenca. Other. Direct discrimination. We received a complaint through our alert service about the following
commentary published in the Diario de Cuenca newspaper:
“It was like comparing God to a gypsy. Without the support of my town, I would never have been able to pro-
ceed.”
It is important to note that disparaging expressions like these tarnish the image of the Roma community and
have an even greater impact when published in the media.
22. Salamanca. Other. Direct discrimination. The local section of La Gaceta Regional de Salamanca newspaper ran
a story under the headline “The Town Hall bolsters security in the San José, El Tormes and La Vega neighbour-
hoods,” areas on the outskirts of town where a large number of Gypsies live. The president of the Barrio de San
José Neighbourhood Association warned that although there is not much violence or crime, complaints focus on
co-existence problems with “some groups of Roma”.
The article concludes by saying co-existence has been good for years “regardless of ethnic group”.
23. National. Other. Direct discrimination. The digital newspaper called Informacion.es put the following headline
on an interview with best-selling novelist Ildefonso Falcones: “Gypsies do not want to change the system but
rather take advantage of it.”
Throughout the interview, the author continually associated the entire Roma community with poverty and delin-
quency, thereby reinforcing negative prejudices and stereotypes towards the Roma community.