Dimmu
3rd September 2011, 11:41
Well to make it short.. The eviction happened on tuesday when dozens of special police and riot police units arrived at the squat. They gave Romas one hour to clear their belongings before kicking them out, police had no translator with them so the communication was impposible.
Satama was probably the most notorious squat in Helsinki because we hosted the only Roma camp in the country. Now the Helsinki town passed some "laws" that make it illegal for Romas to set up a camp anywhere in Helsinki and the only reason why the Satama squat is being demolished is because it hosted the camp.
Here are some news in English.
About 40 police officers emptied the makeshift camp set up by Romanian Roma in the Kalasatama area of Helsinki on Tuesday.
In the massive operation, up to seven police cars surrounded the Satama Social Centre. The centre’s door was broken down, and police officers in riot gear climbed on the roof of the building. Police dogs and a police bus were also on hand, says a Helsingin Sanomat journalist who was on the spot.
The approximately 30 Roma who were there were given an hour to vacate the area. A leaflet written in Romanian instructed the Roma to go to the day centre maintained by the Deaconess Centre, where further information would be available to them.
The City of Helsinki is not offering accommodations.
“They have been instructed over the past two weeks to set up camp at a camping ground at their own expense, or to contact their embassy or the day centre. The main policy line is that the city is not arranging accommodation for them, and that they must get by on their own”, says Jarmo Räihä (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Jarmo+R%C3%A4ih%C3%A4) of the Helsinki Social Services department.
The Roma left the area peacefully. They had not been notified of the exact eviction day in advance.
“We have no place to go. We were given an hour to leave, but we have no car or any possibility to take our things with us”, said Regina (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Regina), whose comments were translated by Keiju Oksanen (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Keiju+Oksanen), a Satama activist. Regina said that she had lived at Satama for over a year.
Oksanen said that not all of the Roma who had been living in the centre were present during the eviction, and their goods were left behind. They are to be taken away. Some cars and caravans were also left behind the fence that is being put up. They are to be towed away by the City of Helsinki.
The Public Works Department of the City of Helsinki has started putting up a fence around the social centre. The area is to be cleaned, and the Satama building is to be demolished starting on Wednesday.
About 40 police officers descended on the Kalasatama area in Helsinki to evict a camp of itinerant foreign Roma. The operation came at the request of the Helsinki City Public Works Department.
In the evening, dozens of Roma who had been forced to leave Kalasatama, and a number of local supporters assembled at Senate Square in the centre of the city.
“The day has been hard. The police came to wake us up in the morning, and we didn’t know what was happening or where to go”, said Maria Miglesku (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Maria+Miglesku), a Romanian,a at Senate Square.
Clothes and other goods were left in Kalasatama. The woman had none of her property with her on Tuesday evening, and did not know where she would sleep the following night.
As the rain poured down, the Roma and their supporters set up a tent structure on the square, which police soon ordered dismantled.
“Camping in Helsinki is permitted only in areas intended for the purpose. The police are sticking to this policy. It is permissible to sit at Senate Square without tents until the morning”, said Juha Hakola (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Juha+Hakola) of the Helsinki Police.
There was no interpreter on hand when the police raid began, but a representative of the Public Works Department distributed maps and leaflets in Romanian with instructions advising the Roma to go to the Romanian Embassy and the day centre set up for the Roma by the Deaconess institute.
City authorities said that the Roma had been informed twice about the upcoming eviction – once two weeks ago, and the second time a week later.
Those with functioning cars were able to leave fairly quickly. Those who lived in broken cars and in caravans and tents had to leave some of their goods behind.
A group of about ten Roma stood at a nearby filling station, wondering where they would spend the night.
Kyösti Roth (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Ky%C3%B6sti+Roth), Chairman of the Finnish Roma Artists Network, said in the evening that the Roma would be housed the following night at the homes of Finnish Roma, and other places.
“On Wednesday we check and see how their housing is to be organised later”, Roth said.
1135268978221
The Roma in Kalasatama were given an hour to gather up their goods before they had to leave.
Romanian Roma Ginea Bereta and Maria Biglesku wondered at Senate Square where they would find a place to sleep.
Satama was probably the most notorious squat in Helsinki because we hosted the only Roma camp in the country. Now the Helsinki town passed some "laws" that make it illegal for Romas to set up a camp anywhere in Helsinki and the only reason why the Satama squat is being demolished is because it hosted the camp.
Here are some news in English.
About 40 police officers emptied the makeshift camp set up by Romanian Roma in the Kalasatama area of Helsinki on Tuesday.
In the massive operation, up to seven police cars surrounded the Satama Social Centre. The centre’s door was broken down, and police officers in riot gear climbed on the roof of the building. Police dogs and a police bus were also on hand, says a Helsingin Sanomat journalist who was on the spot.
The approximately 30 Roma who were there were given an hour to vacate the area. A leaflet written in Romanian instructed the Roma to go to the day centre maintained by the Deaconess Centre, where further information would be available to them.
The City of Helsinki is not offering accommodations.
“They have been instructed over the past two weeks to set up camp at a camping ground at their own expense, or to contact their embassy or the day centre. The main policy line is that the city is not arranging accommodation for them, and that they must get by on their own”, says Jarmo Räihä (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Jarmo+R%C3%A4ih%C3%A4) of the Helsinki Social Services department.
The Roma left the area peacefully. They had not been notified of the exact eviction day in advance.
“We have no place to go. We were given an hour to leave, but we have no car or any possibility to take our things with us”, said Regina (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Regina), whose comments were translated by Keiju Oksanen (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Keiju+Oksanen), a Satama activist. Regina said that she had lived at Satama for over a year.
Oksanen said that not all of the Roma who had been living in the centre were present during the eviction, and their goods were left behind. They are to be taken away. Some cars and caravans were also left behind the fence that is being put up. They are to be towed away by the City of Helsinki.
The Public Works Department of the City of Helsinki has started putting up a fence around the social centre. The area is to be cleaned, and the Satama building is to be demolished starting on Wednesday.
About 40 police officers descended on the Kalasatama area in Helsinki to evict a camp of itinerant foreign Roma. The operation came at the request of the Helsinki City Public Works Department.
In the evening, dozens of Roma who had been forced to leave Kalasatama, and a number of local supporters assembled at Senate Square in the centre of the city.
“The day has been hard. The police came to wake us up in the morning, and we didn’t know what was happening or where to go”, said Maria Miglesku (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Maria+Miglesku), a Romanian,a at Senate Square.
Clothes and other goods were left in Kalasatama. The woman had none of her property with her on Tuesday evening, and did not know where she would sleep the following night.
As the rain poured down, the Roma and their supporters set up a tent structure on the square, which police soon ordered dismantled.
“Camping in Helsinki is permitted only in areas intended for the purpose. The police are sticking to this policy. It is permissible to sit at Senate Square without tents until the morning”, said Juha Hakola (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Juha+Hakola) of the Helsinki Police.
There was no interpreter on hand when the police raid began, but a representative of the Public Works Department distributed maps and leaflets in Romanian with instructions advising the Roma to go to the Romanian Embassy and the day centre set up for the Roma by the Deaconess institute.
City authorities said that the Roma had been informed twice about the upcoming eviction – once two weeks ago, and the second time a week later.
Those with functioning cars were able to leave fairly quickly. Those who lived in broken cars and in caravans and tents had to leave some of their goods behind.
A group of about ten Roma stood at a nearby filling station, wondering where they would spend the night.
Kyösti Roth (http://www.hs.fi/haku/?haku=Ky%C3%B6sti+Roth), Chairman of the Finnish Roma Artists Network, said in the evening that the Roma would be housed the following night at the homes of Finnish Roma, and other places.
“On Wednesday we check and see how their housing is to be organised later”, Roth said.
1135268978221
The Roma in Kalasatama were given an hour to gather up their goods before they had to leave.
Romanian Roma Ginea Bereta and Maria Biglesku wondered at Senate Square where they would find a place to sleep.