Translation by Michael Laudahn:
From Lematin.Ch
Since sunday, numerous caravans have occupied without authorisation a vaste private terrain at Collombey-Muraz (VS).
Society: Eight hundred gipsies are squatting on a terrain at Collombey-Muraz (VS) [Valais canton], to the great regret of the farmers. The population’s incomprehension and anger have led those elected to propose ways-out.
They have landed with some fifty caravans, sunday on a private land close to Collombey-Muraz (VS). Yesterday morning, ‘we have counted 77 of them, and more keep coming’, deplores Simon Turin, the farmer exploiting this field where gens du voyage [travelling people] of french origin have chosen their quarters in complete illegality. The gipsies should be more than 800 this weekend, in order to celebrate a wedding.
Irritated, Simon Turin and Paul Kunz, this land’s proprietor, have appealed to the forces of order, hoping to see the gypsies leave the place. But it won’t be that way. They will stay there until sunday, to the great regret of the farmers and the local population, all of them fearing for their security, and not understanding why these people’s presence is enforced upon them. With regard to police, officers – ‘bereft’ of the option to demand their expulsion – are in a bad position having to negotiate with the gipsies, according to Jean-Marie Bornet, speaker of the Valais canton police.
Contacted yesterday, the Valais security minister Esther Waeber-Kalbermatten is not envisaging an imminent solution. And does not appear to consider the situation’s dimension: ‘Police do their maximum to safeguard the population’s safety. They respond to the orders of the prosecution service.’ A Valais prosecution service whose role it is ‘to stop those infractions which persist’, explains Nicolas Dubuis, procureur général adjoint. ‘But this set of problems with travellers is complex. It is the politicians’ responsibility.’
In fact, several of those elected have – finally – reacted, after this illegal intrusion of travellers at Collombey-Muraz. Among them Yannick Buttet, very concerned as an elected council for Collombey-Muraz and an MP (CVP) . ‘This recent episode shines again the spotlight on this set of problems. What we must do now is assure that there is a legal basis preventing this type of situations from recurring. As this goes beyond the townships and cantons, it is the confederation that must take measures, in order to make the law respected.’
In his intervention which he will present this autumn, the Chablais representative will ask the federal government to act, ‘in order to prevent access to our territory to gipsies displaying inadequate behaviour, especially those who do not respect private property.’ A way-out which is also envisaged by the SVP, which will even propose the enactment of an intercanton, even international ‘Gipsy Alert’ plan. ‘That way, it is about giving our police officers a sufficient delay, in order to assemble adequate means on time’, indicates MP Oskar Freysinger.
What remains is the problem of those ‘transit areas’ for gipsies, required by the confederation for every canton. Valais has one only, at Martigny, while it actually would have to offer at least three. A working group has been busy with this issue for almost ten years. Reason enough to make caravans pass…
[Box]
Beware of skirmishes
Self-invitation to the gipsies’ wedding
On Facebook, an invitation has been launched to go to the wedding, announced by the travellers for this weekend. More than one thousand people have been invited. The organisers promised to ‘test the gipsies’ hospitality’. The first initiator of the project has thrown the towel yesterday, overwhelmed by the dimension which this event appeared to assume. Announced as a participant, a Valais man declared towards the ‘Matin’ [this paper] to be ready to take the project on his account. He has expressed his wish to get an event where people of all horizons participate.
The Valais canton police asks those interested not to create trouble. ‘We do understand and share the population’s feeling of being fed up’, acknowledges Jean-Marie Bornet, chef du service information et prévention. ‘But you can’t call yourself democrate and then want to cross swords in a field.’ The inviatation is part of a rising animosity between the population and the travellers, adds Jean-Marie Bornet. ‘We are one spark away from a big explosion.’
We should not mix the history and situation of “Gypsies” in Europe in the debate about islamisation and/or integration. This is a totally different matter!
And it as been going on as long or longer then the Moslem problem.
I have absolutely no respect for the gypsy culture, like islam, Gypsy females are not treated as equals. The little girls are encouraged if not commanded to dress and dance like sluts from an early age and much like islam the females who are married are not allowed to go anywhere unaccompanied or without their husband’s permission. Both cultures have been developed to massage the egos of insignificant males so they can feel better about themselves and both cultures have sacrificed females at the alter of their men’s inadequacies.
alter should be altar…….any chance of an edit function some day?
Vedero and Richard:
Interestingly, Gypsies came to Europe to escape the Muslim genocide of the Hindus back when Islamic armies were committing what was probably the biggest genocide in the history of the world. I post Gypsy issues because it is an excellent illustration of why multiculturalism is an oxymoron. You simply cannot have 2 cultures in one area with fundamentally different beliefs about, among other things, property ownership.
For example: Regular Europeans typically believe that what is yours is yours and what is mine is mine. They they work to get what they might want which might be yours in order to make it mine.
Traditional Gypsy culture holds that what is theirs is theirs while what is yours is also theirs. This creates conflict. At the same time they often teach that those who work for a living are contemptuous creatures. In Spanish Gypsy culture they call us ‘Payos’, meaning those who work for money. It is a highly derogatory term.
There are pluses to Gypsy culture as well. There is no question that they are responsible for tremendous contributions to performing arts in Europe much as their ancestors, likely the ‘untouchables’ in India also had a deeply rooted tradition of performing arts in India before the Islamic caused diaspora. This would include song, whole musical forms and systems, dance, prestidigitation (especially useful for pickpocketing as well unfortunately) and other folk arts.
Okay. Those caravans and cars look better than anything I could afford. Anybody care to ask where the money’s coming from?
I knew about them leaving India, and about the arts and medical contributions.