Tabloid newspaper apologises to Romany Gypsy Guild after complaints about ‘how to burn out a Gypsy’ instructions comment posted
The Sun newspaper has apologised to the Romany Gypsy Guild and has disabled all comment threads under Gypsy and Traveller related articles after complaints about a comment with detailed instructions about ‘how to burn out a Gypsy’ was posted on a comment thread on the popular tabloids website.
Romany campaigner Genty Lee, from the Romany Gypsy Guild, was already in touch with editors at The Sun about racist and illegal comments on their comment thread, when a comment was suddenly posted on The Sun website giving detailed instructions on how to murder Gypsies and Travellers by burning out there caravans.
The commenter explained how burning out caravans was better than shooting Gypsies and Travellers and also gave tips on how to avoid getting caught.
The comment appeared under the article, published on The Sun website on the 9th October 2018, prompting shocked Gypsy and Traveller campaigners to send in complaints. The Sun immediately deleted the comments and disabled the thread so that no further comments could be made. The Sun also apologised to the Romany Gypsy Guild.
Genty Lee, who has been engaging with The Sun for months prior to the incitement to violence comment appearing, told the editors that this was a wake-up call for The Sun and that they should now “seriously consider permanently disabling comments when reporting on Travellers.”
Genty Lee told the Travellers’ Times that this was the aim of the Romany Gypsy Guild and that they would also be engaging with other newspapers.
From evidence seen by the Travellers’ Times, Genty and the Guild have been talking to The Sun in a series of email exchanges since the start of August, and have been successful in removing other offensive comments and getting comment threads disabled on previous Sun GRT related articles.
“Now that a few hundred thousand people have been given step by step instructions to take part in the murder of Gypsies we would like to see the sun take seriously the responsibility of moderating comments,” said Genty Lee.
“Educate don't hate is the coined phrase of The Romany-Gypsy Guild, sharing our knowledge to help make a difference. We can make a change for our children, grandchildren and children yet to come while helping each other along the way,” Genty Lee told the Travellers’ Times.
The Travellers’ Times understands that the Sun has agreed to disable all comments whilst they discuss a solution with the Romany Gypsy Guild.
The full comment, posted under the avatar ‘Chelsea Headhunter’, said:
“Once I had a problem with someone, and we torched their car and home alight. Problem solved, and no, they did not all die. More then once actually, its a very effective treatment for business or personal problems.
What would stop you from setting these caravans alight? Police cannot possibly prosecute something like this, you can throw a bottle full of petrol or just pour gas beneath the things at 5am when they are surely asleep. This is the fastest way to help the gypsies realize its time to move out of town.
Fire is silent and impossible to trace. Shooting makes alot of racket, especially at night. The same police that work hard to get their Burger King break will be completely baffled by who is setting the fires, not that they would care.
Pro tip: do not drive your car to caravan park, either take a bike or borrow someone else vehicle plate. And if you put gas in a can, make sure you do it a few weeks earlier out of town so they dont just rewind the CCTV for the past 2 days and catch you you mug. Also the caravan's fuel tank is at the back of the vehicle, so make sure you have that part drenched.”
The TT understands that discussions between The Sun and the Guild are ongoing.
By TT News
(The lead picture is the logo of The Romany Gypsy Guild used courtesy of the Romany Gypsy Guild)