individuals ; forced and involuntary sterilization , as well as other physical and psychological violence against Roma ; insisting on discriminatory stereotypes about Roma and against Roma , and affirming such stereotypes ; blaming Roma , using hate speech , for real or imagined social , political , cultural , economic , and public health problems ; stereotyping Roma as individuals engaged in criminal activities ; using the term “ gypsy ” as a pejorative ; endorsing or encouraging exclusionary mechanisms directed against Roma based on racially discriminatory assumptions , such as exclusion from regular schools and institutional procedures or policies leading to the segregation of Romani communities ; adopting policies without a legal basis or setting conditions that allow for arbitrary or discriminatory displacement of Romani communities and individuals ; holding Roma collectively responsible for the real or imagined actions of individual members of Romani communities ; spreading hate speech against Romani communities in any form , such as in the media , including the internet and social networks .
The European Union and international organizations have recognized the problem and are trying to address discrimination and violence against Roma through various initiatives and programs . One of them is the Strategy for the Integration of Roma . The European Union has adopted national strategies for the integration of Roma to improve their access to education , housing , employment , and healthcare . Punitive measures against discrimination have also been prescribed . The European Union mandates strict measures against racial discrimination and encourages member states to strengthen legal frameworks for the protection of Roma .
However , despite these efforts , violence and discrimination against Roma remain a serious problem . All of the above leads us to question the broader implementation of these civilizational and very important declarations , strategies , and laws . On paper , many things may look ideal , but there is a long way to go to their concrete application and sincere adoption and the recognition of the suffering of a community as well as their current position .
Those who fight daily for the rights of vulnerable national minorities , such as the Romani minority in Europe , know this best . Unfortunately , the long period from the end of the bloody Second World War to today has more recently been marked by a constant rise in hate speech and the flourishing of neo-Nazi groups . The Romani minority suffers from both institutional racism and economic marginalization .
The increase in extremism and anti-minority attitudes in some European countries further complicates the overall situation . We must not lose sight of the fact that right-wing populism and extremist groups in countries like Hungary , Bulgaria , the Czech Republic , and Slovakia increasingly use anti-migrant and anti-Roma rhetoric . This often leads to violence , attacks on Romani settlements , and hate speech and crimes .
In Hungary , radical groups such as Jobbik have been linked to violent incidents against Roma , including physical assaults and arson of homes . In Bulgaria and Romania , Roma often face police brutality and violence from local communities . Racially motivated attacks on Roma in Central and Eastern European countries unfortunately continue to occur , many of which end tragically .
To remind us of the most horrific attacks on Roma , we highlight a few examples of the brutal violence to which they are subjected . In Slovakia , in the town of Moldava nad Bodvou in 2013 , police carried out a violent raid of a Romani settlement under the pretext of searching for the perpetrators of alleged crimes . During this incident , dozens of Romani residents were injured , and Romani families reported the destruction of property . A few years earlier , in 2009 , also in Slovakia , in the town of Zehra , a group of racists attacked Roma in their homes . While beating them , they shouted racist slurs . Minority organizations reported the trauma suffered indirectly among the wider local Romani community following this incident .
The neighboring Czech Republic has recorded equally gruesome crimes against Roma . Probably the most well-known racially motivated crime in the Czech Republic occurred in 1995 when four
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Observing Memories Issue 8