The Traveller Movement has said there has been a ‘dramatic’ increase in the number of hate crimes against Gypsy Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities reported since the announcement of Brexit.
The news was highlighted after MP for Devon South West, Gary Streeter, commented on a Traveller group that set up camp in Trefusis Park, Plymouth. He told the Plymouth Herald that the Travellers were a “nuisance” and “as vulnerable as Ghengis Khan”, the Mongolian invader.
Yvonne McNamara CEO of the Traveller Movement (TM) said that these comments were “deplorable” and that “hostile comments like these ‘normalise’ racism”.
Streeter has since said he was just questioning their status as a vulnerable group. See the full BBC article for more information.
The Traveller Movement recently held an exhibition for GRT Month showcasing the culture of the communities but also the discrimination they often face. See some of the grating tweets they found on Twitter.
Yvonne told Irish in Britain:
“It is important that we recognise the widespread discrimination against GRT communities as highlighted in our research and recognise hate speech and hate crime for what it is.”
Irish in Britain also encourages people to report hate crime by reporting incidents and understanding the communities’ unique cultural needs. See London Gypsies and Travellers’ (LGT) recent campaign called We Are So Many Things aimed at promoting the contribution of Travellers and Gypsies in the community.
CEO of Irish in Britain Brian Dalton said:
“It’s important to challenge all forms of discrimination, and to learn about the culture of Travellers and Gypsies to understand the difficulties they often face. We would encourage everyone to report hate crime wherever it is encountered.”
As part of their #OperationReportHate project the Traveller Movement monitors and takes action against online hate speech, and encourages people to report incidents whether they are the victim or a witness using one of the methods in their guidance.
See our article on Gypsy Roma Traveller month for more information on the communities’ unique identity, culture and history.