If there are any moments that stand out from their angry and intense protests Roma in Thessaloniki and Athens after serious injury to 16-year-old Kostas Frangulisthese are the ones in Mesogion, where about 40 gypsies, who have gone out into the street, gather around a large Greek flag.

A little bit later episodes will follow and then, with a strong flag in their hands, the gypsies will run to the camp, followed by the police.

The flag – larger or smaller, on tin cans and inside shacks – is the symbol that leads the Roma camp at the Mint.

Friday morning (09/12/2022) and all (many) TVs in the camp show police operations in Aspropyrgos.

“Did they do the right thing in Thessaloniki?“, they ask us all the time.

This particular camp is probably the oldest in all of Attica – half a century old – and located in the heart of the urban fabric of Chalandrio, just a few meters from the metro.

“We are Greek Gypsies, our origin is from Chalkis” she says proudly Dimitra Kalamiotis and adds: “But we do not stop being gypsies, even if our faces are different. We are all parents, so we also go outside, because he is a 16-year-old child. Every year they kill one. Today it is a boy, and tomorrow it may be mine or a neighbor’s.”

Life is left to itself

Though relatively “orderly” on the surface, the Mint camp is just as harsh, difficult, and inhumane as any other. In fact, tragic events have taken place here over the past two years.

Last August, 8-year-old girl found dead in abandoned car. Electricity, randomly supplied by bare wires, also claimed the life of a small child who died here from an electric shock two years ago.

Speaking to “K”, the mayor of Chalandri, Simos Roussossays they live in this camp today 70 families, about 250 gypsies in total. 110 under 15 years old, while in the last two years alone, 74 children were born here.

“Despite the fact that the camp is managed and crime is low, the sanitation facilities are in their infancy, rubbish, rubble and rodents are everywhere,” notes Mr. camp to live in houses provided to them by the municipality, the plan for the complete elimination of the slums is not moving forward.

The reason, according to the mayor, is that the financial support for the region of Attica, which was negotiated, was ultimately not provided, since European funds were never allocated by the region (ss: this “Pilot project for the social inclusion of the Roma” which was signed in December 2019).

In addition to the houses donated to the Roma, the municipality also built two CONCEPT in which 50 gypsies from the camp work – the municipality spent, according to Mr. Rousseau, 1 million euros on this entire program.

RS. Anyway, Dimitra, wife of the camp chairman, Stelios Kalamiotis, insists: “We are the best camp in all of Attica and in the most beautiful place.”

Detailed discussion of the problem

At this point, Ms. Dimitra emphasizes that she does not agree with the violent antics of the communities after the incident with the 16-year-old in Thessaloniki, even if the children are “unfairly shot.”

Also the oldest, in relation to the average age here, Anthony Lukasagree with her.

“It’s like a confirmation of what society thinks of us.”

“Yes, but there is a cover, the harassment was not even reported to the police center, as in the case of Sampanis,” replies 25-year-old Nikos, who participates in the discussion.

“Go down and claim your right with banners, with slogans, with organization, without burning garbage cans,” retorts Mr. Anthony.

“This is our chance,” says the young man Christos, too.

“The possibility of what?” Ask me.

“To show the racism that exists against us,” says Christos and asks Antonis: “Do you like it here?”

– “And you, who left here and went to the municipality house, your children remain wild,” Antonis now answers him.

“Why do they keep coming here. The camp and each camp must be completely dismantled in order to merge normally into society.” concludes Christ.

However, they all agree on the following: even in their own, relatively “quiet” camp, the attitude of the police towards them is, to put it mildly, suspicious.

“But we went hard, didn’t we?” – Christ says angrily and continues: “If there is a war, only patches will go, what do you think? Will Roma call them? Not to mention what happens every time we have an election. Then everyone wants us, they come to the settlement and tell us: whatlet us change your life“.

The events did not leave indifferent children, who everyone knows – both the 8-year-old who was left in the car and died of heat stroke last summer, and the 16-year-old, who is now in Thessaloniki.

OUR 9 year old Georgia he wants to say that he knows about this last event.

In an innocent manner characteristic of children, he describes: “The boy doused gasoline and left without giving money. He should have been put in jail, not killed. It was a mess here.”

Shortly before we leave the camp, the gypsies learn that the policeman who fired two bullets will be under house arrest.

The decision does not satisfy them, but it does not anger them even more. We leave them waiting for what they keep asking for: justice.

Persistent absence of Roma policy and culture of impunity

OUR Alexandra KaragianniRoma lawyer, member of the special secretariat for human rights “Ellan Passe” (Greek Confederation of Greek Gypsies) and representative of their rights in the Council of Europe, says that since the incident with Nikos Sampanis in Perama, there has been constant harassment – with weapons and shootings – against unarmed Roma.

She notes that not all of them come out into the light, and usually refers to an incident that took place a few months ago in Volos, where a 16-year-old unarmed underage gypsy was harassed.

The minor fled without stopping at a signal from the police, and the law enforcement officers opened fire point-blank. In this case, the bullet passed through the glass without harming the young man.

When asked “K” why these incidents have become more frequent, Ms. Karagianni says how this happens because a message was sent to the police that there is tolerance, but also that human rights violations are not punished in our country..

He also notes that in the case of Kostas Fragulis, it was clear to the police that the perpetrator was a gypsy, primarily from his car, a classic van used by gypsies.

“Now the police have been given the responsibility of appeasing the spirit, and the community business is not helping her at all just a few days after the incident with the 16-year-old,” she said. Karagiannis continues: “Representatives of the Roma all these days are trying in every tone to prevent the gypsies from stormy performances. But the police must throw the same bridge of self-control.”

RS. Karagiannis characterizes antigypsyism as one of the most widespread forms of racism in society throughout time.

As he explains: “Everything that the society discusses and “worries” him in the life of the gypsies – school dropouts, delinquency, early marriages are all parts of a larger problem, and that is the problem of integration..

And the argument for the constant use of benefits by Roma is actually untenable. The surcharges are part of a wider – presumably – policy, which, however, remains on paper. Fragmented policy, policy that never has a coherent logic. Obviously, you can’t just give discounts and think that we got rid of them. We need a strong political will with planning and timing. If we don’t try it, we can’t say we’ve failed. But remembering this discussion only in the shadow of events like what happened with Sampanis last year and 16-year-old Kostas Fragulis now is impossible.”