Roma housing struggle continues

As I wrote before, people who are organizing the Universiade 2009 in Beograd first used their bulldozers and removed parts of the Roma settlement next to the block of newly-made buildings where sportiest from around the world will be accommodated during this students Olympics event. Campaign and protest were made, but it seemed that most of Beograd’s citizens don’t really care or think that Roma people deserve to be sent “where they came from”.

Probably empowered by such a situation, our city government made another shocking move in the middle of June – this time they put a two-meter high fence around the settlement – blocking the way to the only water supply for the people living there.
The purpose of it – well, our city leaders think that poverty is something to be ashamed of – so by putting this fence for the time of Universiade they are “only” trying to “protect” sportiest from the “ugly” sight of poverty.
After some human rights organizations protested, cisterns with water were sent there.

People of good will then organized an action to use their bodies as weapons to break the fences.

/Majda Puaca