Slovakia: Romani Union Party says it is organizing a month of street protests

News server Redakcia1.blogspot.cz reported on 23 April that the Romani Union Party in Slovakia (Strana romské unie – SRU) intends to organize a month of protest marches on the streets of towns throughout the country. Below is a full translation of the party’s declaration and a message from its chair, František Tanko.

Declaration of the Romani Union Party in Slovakia

The presidium of the Romani Union Party in Slovakia (Strana romské unie – SRU) announces that from 24 April – 25 May 2013 it will organize massive protest marches through Bratislava and the district towns of the region of Eastern Slovakia. The first march will take place in Humenné. We will inform the public of dates and times.

These protest marches, like the two previous ones we convened in Bratislava and Košice, will target the indifference of government representatives and state bureaucrats toward actively resolving Romani problems and their indifference to discrimination. We will demonstrate for a decent life and for jobs.

The SRU has informed representatives of the European Union, the International Council on Social Welfare, and the World Romani Organization Romnipen of the current state of affairs and the state’s lack of interest. We are protesting because government representatives are not interested in our ways of resolving these problems. They are not interested in our projects, and they are also not interested in the camouflage and pretense involved in the ridiculous use of EU funding for projects that have no effect or impact.

Prior to the protests, the SRU will hold a press conference to inform the media about where these marches will take place and how they will be run.

Presidium of the Romani Union Party in Slovakia

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Below is a translation of a message issued by the chair of the Romani Union Party in Slovakia to all activists, representatives of the Romani media, Romani leaders and Romani people:  

Roma, let’s take the fate of our nation into our own hands!

Roma, it is time for us to unite, to forget the disputes we have with one another, to forget our quarrels, to join forces and take to the streets together. The governing Směr party, led by Robert Fico, promised us jobs and security. Many Romani people were fooled into believing Fico’s promises, but he views us as inferior people who must wait for all eternity with outstretched hands.

Not just Fico, but all top politicians are doing their best to convince the public that this is how we should be seen. What is worse, we have no backup. The Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for the Romani Community is taking the side of the politicians. He does not protest the iniquities committed against us, on the contrary, he wants to push Romani people into even greater poverty. Thank God his reforms have been rejected for the time being.

We want nothing more than justice. We want our children to stop being segregated away from others in schools and school cafeterias. We want the same opportunities as majority-society citizens – the chance to be employed, without discrimination. We don’t want to be thrown out of restaurants or attacked on the streets just because our skin color is different. As a nation, we reject being collectively blamed for everything bad that happens in this country, just as we do not hold the whole Slovak nation responsible for crimes committed by individuals.

Romani activists, journalists, politicians:  Stop closing your eyes to the truth! Don’t expect help from the malfunctioning Office of the Plenipotentiary. That office is led by an incompetent person who will not take a single step without permission from his party boss and the people under whom his office falls. That person has already lost his Romani pride – he has sold it for a position. He is not addressing what is actually bothering Romani people, but is doing everything he can to push the Roma into even greater poverty.

That is why you should join us. Join our protests, and together we will achieve more. We will finally take the fate of our sorely tested nation into our own hands!

František Tanko, chair, Romani Union Party in Slovakia