dont forget baltimore, dont forget ferguson, dont forget nyc, dont forget freddie, dont forget mike, dont forget eric, dont forget rekia, dont forget renisha, dont forget all the countless black people who have been murdered by police, dont forget any of it. black lives STILL matter, do not forget that we STILL matter.
france is one of the worst and most overtly violent countries in its treatment of romani in the entirety of europe.
in 2014 they evicted 13,483 romani from the country. that’s almost three settlements per week. the people evicted were making use of their right to move freely within the EU as citizens of countries like romania and the evictions not only violate EU but also international law.
romani are not allowed to attend school in france either. more than half of romani children surveyed were not attending school and when asked why the parents said they provided all identification and enrolment papers and were rejected anyway on grounds of their ethnicity. this is flat out illegal.
violence and hate crimes against romani are astronomically high in france. reports of romani settlements being burned down or demolished after its inhabitants are forcefully chased out of them are common and the police does nothing about it. in fact, the police is often leading the violence themselves. roma lead the list of hate crimes in europe and france is no exception.
politicians and major public figures often engage in outright hate speech and it’s at best tolerated and at worst encouraged. events like a french mp saying “maybe hitler didn’t kill enough of you” are not isolated incidents.
france isn’t the only perpetrator of violence and oppression of course. romani endure things like forced sterilization, denial of health care, education or housing and extreme poverty in all of europe. (more sources: 1, 2, 3). but they are definitely among the worst.
one of the reasons why france is able to get away with this is because almost no one knows or cares about what is happening to france’s romani population. there are no big news articles, no protests, no discussions around this except for very few spaces which don’t have a wide reach. that’s not acceptable at all.
france needs to be held accountable for the violence they perpetrate against the marginalized members of their population and their crimes (because they are crimes!) need to be shared with as many people as possible. if you can, please educate yourself, share information and consider donating to errc.org to help them fight for romani rights.
Black people killed by police in 2015
Bernard Moore 62
Lavall Hall 25
Jonathan Ryan Paul 42
Jamie Croom 31
Terry Garnett Jr. 37
Monique Jenee Deckard 43
Tony Terrell Robinson Jr. 19
Tyrone Ryerson Lawrence 45
Naeschylus Vinzant 37
Andrew Anthony Williams 48
Dewayne Deshawn Ward Jr. 29
Ledarius Williams 23
Yvette Henderson 38
Edward Donnell Bright, Sr. 56
Thomas Allen Jr. 34
Charley Leundeu Keunang, “Africa” 43
Fednel Rhinvil 25
Shaquille C. Barrow 20
Kendre Omari Alston 16
Brandon Jones 18
Darrell “Hubbard” Gatewood 47
Cornelius J. Parker 28
Ian Sherrod 40
Jermonte Fletcher 33
Darin Hutchins 26
Glenn C. Lewis 37
Calvon A. Reid 39
Tiano Meton 25
Demaris Turner 29
Isaac Holmes 19
A’Donte Washington 16
Terry Price 41
Stanley Lamar Grant 38
Askari Roberts 35
Dewayne Carr 42
Terrance Moxley 29
Theodore Johnson 64
Cedrick Lamont Bishop 30
Anthony Hill 27
Terence D. Walke 21
Janisha Fonville 20
Phillip Watkins 23
Anthony Bess 49
Desmond Luster, Sr. 45
James Howard Allen 74
Natasha McKenna 37
Herbert Hill 26
Markell Atkins 36
Kavonda Earl Payton 39
Rodney Walker 23
Donte Sowell 27
Mario A. Jordan 34
Artago Damon Howard 36
Andre Larone Murphy Sr. 42
Marcus Ryan Golden 24
Brian Pickett 26
Hashim Hanif Ibn Abdul-Rasheed 41
Ronald Sneed 31
Leslie Sapp III 47
Matthew Ajibade 22Black people killed by police in 2014
Kevin Davis, 44
Eric Tyrone Forbes, 28
Jerame C. Reid, 36
David Andre Scott, 28
Quentin Smith, 23
Terrence Gilbert, 25
Carlton Wayne Smith, 20
Gregory Marcus Gray, 33
Antonio Martin, 18
Tyrone Davis, 43
Xavier McDonald, 16
Brandon Tate-Brown, 26
Dennis Grisgby, 35
Michael D. Sulton, 23
Thurrell Jowers, 22
Travis Faison, 24
Calvin Peters, 49
Christopher Bernard Doss, 41
Jerry Nowlin, 39
William Mark Jones, 50
Rumain Brisbon, 34
Lincoln Price, 24
Eric Ricks, 30
Leonardo Marquette Little, 33
Tamir E. Rice, 12
Akai Gurley, 28
Myron De’Shawn May, 39
Keara Crowder, 29
Tanisha N. Anderson, 37
Darnell Dayron Stafford, 31
David Yearby, 27
Aura Rosser, 40
Carlos Davenport, 51
Cinque DJahspora, 20
Rauphael Thomas, 29
Christopher M. Anderson, 27
Charles Emmett Logan, 68
John T. Wilson, III, 22
Christopher Mason McCray, 17
Kaldrick Donald, 24
Zale Thompson, 32
Terrell Lucas, 22
Ronnie D. McNary, 44
Adam Ardett Madison, 28
Balantine Mbegbu, 65
Elisha Glass, 20
Qusean Whitten, 18
Vonderrit Myers Jr., 18
O’Shaine Evans, 26
Latandra Ellington, 36
Aljarreau Cross, 29
Iretha Lilly, 37
Lashano J. Gilbert, 31
Miguel Benton, 19
Eugene Williams, 38
Tracy A. Wade, 39
Javonta Darden, 20
Marlon S. Woodstock, 38
Oliver Jarrod Gregoire, 26
Nolan Anderson, 50
Cameron Tillman, 14
John Jolly Jr., 28
Charles Smith, 29
Michael Willis Jr., 42
Briant Paula, 26
Kashad Ashford, 23
Carrey Brown, 26
Ceasar Adams, 36
Ricky Deangelo Hinkle, 47
Elijah Jackson, 33
Darrien Nathaniel Hunt, 22
Shawn Brown, 20
Alphonse Edward Perkins, 50
Naim Owens, 22
Kendrick Brown, 35
Eugene N. Turner III, 28
Ronald Singleton, 45
Jeremy Lewis, 33
Vernicia Woodward, 26
Cortez Washington, 32
Steven Lashone Douglas, 29
Desean Pittman, 20
Roshad McIntosh, 18
Anthony Lamar Brown, 39
Arvel Douglas Williams, 30
Darius Cole-Garrit, 21
Kajieme Powell, 25
David Ellis, 29
Luther Lathron Walker, 38
Andre Maurice Jones, 37
Frederick R. Miller, 38
Michelle Cusseaux, 50
Dante Parker, 36
Corey Levert Tanner, 24
Ezell Ford, 25
Robert Baltimore, 34
Dustin Keith Glover, 27
Eddie Davis, 67
Michael Brown, Jr., 18
Michael Laray Dozer, 26
John Crawford III, 22
Daniel Row, 37
Jacorey Calhoun, 23
Anthony Callaway, 27
Patrick Small, 27
Harrison Carter, 29
Vamond Arqui Elmore, 37
Donovan Bayton, 54
Charles Leon Johnson, II, 29
Briatay McDuffie, 19
Jonathan L. Williams, 25
Eric Garner, 43
Dominique Charon Lewis, 23
Michael Reams, 47
Lawrence Campbell, 27
Kenny Clinton Walker, 23
Tyshawn Hancock, 37
Charles Goodridge, 53
Cedric Stanley, 35
Ennis Labaux, 37
Warren Robinson, 16
Christopher Jones, 30
Icarus Randolph, 26
Jacqueline Nichols, 64
Jerry Dwight Brown, 41
Nyocomus Garnett, 35
Rodney Hodge, 33
Paul Ray Kemp Jr., 40
Dennis Hicks, 29
Samuel Johnson, 45
Lavon King, 20
Antoine Dominique Hunter, 24
Samuel Shields, 49
Juan May, 45
Denzell Curnell, 19
Ismael Sadiq, 30
Devaron Ricardo Wilburn, 21
John Schneider, 24
Jason Harrison, 38
Frank Rhodes, 61
Roylee Vell Dixon, 48
Broderick Johnson, 21
David Latham, 35
Lonnie Flemming, 31
Steven Thompson, 26
Thomas Dewitt Johnson, 28
Frank McQueen, 34
Sandy Jamel McCall, 33
Quintico Goolsby, 36
Dominique Franklin, Jr., 23
George V. King, 19
James Renee White Jr., 21
Devante Kyshon Hinds, 21
Pearlie Golden, 93
Jerome Dexter Christmas, 44
Armand Martin, 50
Dontre H. Hamilton, 31
Joe Huff, 86
Emmanuel Wooten
Matthew Walker, 55
Daniel Christoph Yealu, 29
Adrian Williams, 29
Gregory Towns, 24
Jameel Kareem Ofurum Harrison, 34
Zikarious Jaquan Flint, 20
Raason Shaw, 20
DeAndre Lloyd Starks, 27
Douglas Cooper, 18
Winfield Carlton Fisher III, 32
Deosaran Maharaj, 51
Daniel Martin, 47
Emerson Clayton Jr., 21
Rebecca Lynn Oliver, 24
Treon “Tree” Johnson, 27
Gabriella Monique Nevarez, 22
Marquise Jones, 23
Kenneth Christopher Lucas, 38
Keith Atkinson, 31
Yvette Smith, 45
D’Andre Berghardt Jr., 20
Stephon Averyhart, 27
Anthony Bartley, 21
Earnest Satterwhite, Sr., 68
Anneson Joseph, 28
Alton Reaves, 31
McKenzie Cochran, 25
Cornelius Turner, 19
Eldrin Loren Smart, 31
Henry Jackson, 19
Jordan Baker, 26
Gregory Vaughn Hill Jr., 30
Paul Smith, 58
Jeffrey Ragland, 50
Kendall Alexander, 34