Journalists condemn France for restricting freedoms

[caption id="attachment_11085" align="alignleft" width="203" caption="Roma gypsy"][/caption]

 Editor - Journalists are warning about the rise of racism in France and accuse police of obstructing journalists following a raid on the country's minority Roma community.


While many people think of France as a country that accepts people of
all backgrounds and has a tolerance toward differences, some say
President Nicolas Sarkozy has changed all that.  The journalists are
among those questioning the tactics of the President and its government
in dealing with minorities.


The International Federation of Journalists and its regional body the
European Federation of Journalists today considers the crackdown by
French authorities on the country’s minority Roma community to be the
evidence that France is doing things that encourage xenophobia and
intolerance. They also accuse police of obstructing journalists
following a dawn raid on one major Roma campsite yesterday.


The IFJ says journalists were prevented by police from covering their
raid on a Gypsy encampment in the central city of Saint-Etienne which
saw forced evictions from a squatter camp where the local council had
provided fresh water and chemical toilets.


This was the first police action since President Nicolas Sarkozy
announced a series of tough measures over the next few weeks, including
plans to evict Roma from 300 unauthorised sites.


“The government’s intemperate and intolerant attitude will only
encourage a new bout of racism and xenophobia,” said Aidan White, IFJ
General Secretary. “This sort of action against people who come from
other European Union states is both questionable legally and reckless
because it fuels tensions between communities.”


The IFJ says that pandering to extremist racist opinion will also
encourage xenophobic propaganda and put new pressure on journalists and
media.


“Already we have reports of police in Saint Etienne preventing
journalists from covering their raid against the campsite,” said White.
“This is completely unacceptable. France is not a police state and media
must be able to report freely. If journalists and media cannot get to
the truth how will people know whether law and order is respected?”


The IFJ says that statements from French officials that there were plans
to evict all Roma “without proper papers” from the country and back to
Romania appeared to challenge the rights of freedom of movement within
the European Union.


Reports say that around 15,000 Gypsies and Roma of Eastern European
origin are living in France, many of them in authorised sites but some
have moved into squatter camps because of overcrowding. The latest
action follows an incident last month when a group of French Gypsies
rioted after one of them was shot dead by police in Saint-Aignan,
central France.


The IFJ says that the latest action by the government, which is accused
by some critics of turning to populist anti-migrant policies to revive
its political fortunes, will add to concerns over the rise of anti-Roma
sentiment and xenophobia across Europe.


“The reality is that policies that tap into people’s uncertainties and
fears will make life difficult for many minorities, lead to
discrimination and will make media and journalism susceptible to the
undue influence of racist propaganda from unscrupulous politicians,”
said White. “The French authorities must act calmly and avoid all forms
of unfair discrimination.”