Romania: 100 Roma demonstrate in Bucharest in front of Russian Embassy with mockup of the tank that Romani Ukrainians captured from the occupiers
Romanian media report that approximately 100 activists of Romani origin assembled on Monday, 16 May in front of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest on the occasion of Roma Resistance Day for an action convened by the Aresel platform, which fights for the Roma community’s rights. The capture of a tank by Romani people in Ukraine from the Russian occupiers became the demonstration’s symbol.
Aresel, a civic platform, announced that the demonstration was a celebration and commemoration not just of the historical resistance by Romani people, but also of the current resistance they are showing in the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine. According to them, from the beginning of the invasion ordered by Putin, the Roma have been fighting side-by-side with their fellow citizens for the freedom of Ukraine.
“It was written about the Roma in Ukraine that they ‘stole’ the Russian tank, not that they had captured it, as would have been said about any other citizens of Ukraine, the deed would have been presented as one of heroism if it had been done by anybody else,” Aresel announced. “Resistance by Roma, for us, is not anything exceptional, it does not happen just during criticial moments, but is a way of life. Non-Romani racism toward us is a cultural phenomenon that pressures us to live in precarious situations. The racism that Roma encounter every day has become something common for many Roma, something that is no longer a surprise.”
