top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon
Explore
arrow down

Roma pride held in Paris

The march aimed at dispelling prejudices against Roma people in the light of recent remarks by politicians

A ROMA pride march was held in Paris at the weekend, amid an atmosphere of tension over alleged racism towards the ethnic group in France.

It was the third such annual event, but came at an especially sensitive time this year, after Interior Minister Manuel Valls’s remarks that “most Roma do not want to integrate” and “they should go home to their country”.

Organised by European anti-racism body Egam and French Gypsy organisation Ufat, it aimed to dispel prejudice with music and a festive atmosphere. Among participants was TV presenter and musician Yvan Le Bolloch' (pictured), who is a member of Gypsy music band Ma guitare s'appelle reviens.

An Egam spokeswoman said: “We want to show that we can live together, and give a different image of these people, getting rid of fantasies and fears.”

However she said this year’s event, which attracted around 200, “was taking place in an atmosphere, and amid a public discourse, of incredible violence”.

Ufat president Alain Dumas called the event “a way of spreading by music messages addressed to the government and Europe about the stigmatisation of Roma people and travellers”.

The Paris event was one of around 15 Roma prides being held in Europe on Sunday, the organisers said.

Most Roma people in France are of Romanian or Bulgarian origin. Only a minority have a travelling lifestyle and the vast majority of “travellers” in France are French.

Certain provisional limits on Romanians and Bulgarians working in France, in place since the countries joined the EU in 2007, end on January 1. Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius recently spoke against the countries being allowed to join the Schengen zone which allows crossing borders without passport control. A decision on this is expected by the end of the year.

Photo:Eriotac

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France