ERRC Calls for Strong Response by French Authorities to Marseille Violence

01 October 2012

Budapest, 1 October 2012: The European Roma Rights Centre is calling on authorities to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of last week’s violence against Roma in Marseille. A group of 35 Roma, including 15 children, were forced to leave the piece of land where they were living by local residents, who later returned and set fire to their belongings. The incident took place in Les Créneaux, in the northern district of Marseille in the early evening. According to media reports, police witnessed verbal insults against the Roma and separated the groups, before the Roma fled. 

The Roma had been living there for four days, after they had already been evicted from their previous housing.

The ERRC is calling on authorities act immediately to provide safe and secure accommodation for the Romani community and to ensure that all citizens can exercise their rights to liberty, security of the person and private and family life. Authorities must identify, effectively investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of this violent attack targeting Roma.

For more information, contact:

Sinan Gokçen
ERRC Media and Communications Officer
sinan.gokcen@errc.org
+36.30.500.1324