Greece begins partial demolition of Roma camp
- 10 years ago
The bulldozer begins its demolition...
Authorities in Greece are tearing down unoccupied homes in this Roma camp in an Athens suburb.
The Roma have squatted on this private land for decades but now... they watch with resignation.
(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ROMA LEADER STELIOS, KALAMIOTIS, SAYING:
"It is a shame that the government is solving a 45-year old problem in this way. There are 54 children in the camp that go to school. Those children should not be seeing this sort of thing."
The camp, for all its haphazardness, sits amid prime Athens real estate.
The government wants to relocate the Roma to organized settlement near the town of Megara about an hour away...but the Roma say that's too far, too isolated.
(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ROMA CAMP RESIDENT, TASSOS, SAYING:
"We grew up here, and now they want to kick us out of here and send us to Megara, no one wants to go there, the children go to school here, what will they do there? Who will help us t
Authorities in Greece are tearing down unoccupied homes in this Roma camp in an Athens suburb.
The Roma have squatted on this private land for decades but now... they watch with resignation.
(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ROMA LEADER STELIOS, KALAMIOTIS, SAYING:
"It is a shame that the government is solving a 45-year old problem in this way. There are 54 children in the camp that go to school. Those children should not be seeing this sort of thing."
The camp, for all its haphazardness, sits amid prime Athens real estate.
The government wants to relocate the Roma to organized settlement near the town of Megara about an hour away...but the Roma say that's too far, too isolated.
(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) ROMA CAMP RESIDENT, TASSOS, SAYING:
"We grew up here, and now they want to kick us out of here and send us to Megara, no one wants to go there, the children go to school here, what will they do there? Who will help us t