Gypsy and Traveller campaigners launch petition against ‘gypsy status’ law
Gypsy and Traveller campaigners have just launched an online petition to oppose the ‘gypsy status’ planning law and to gather support for a demonstration that they say is going to happen outside the houses of Parliament in late May.
The petition was launched after a meeting between HertsGATE, The Gypsy Council, The Gypsy Roma Traveller Police Association and former UK Association of Gypsy Women campaigner Shay Clipson at the Traveller Movement office on the Holloway Road in London.
The coalition vowed to do something to oppose the new law and said people-power was needed to fight this, as well as the inevitable legal challenges the new law would bring.
They said that the planning of a Gypsy-Traveller demonstration against the new ‘gypsy status’ was well in hand and that a date would be released soon.
A spokesperson for the coalition said that they would welcome more groups joining together to help organise this demonstration and other activities on the day around the country. They said that it would be a peaceful but noisy event and that families and children would be welcome.
They added:
“We see this as a direct attack on our culture and heritage and on our children’s futures and their right to define who they are in their own terms. We see it as a racist attack in that it seeks to marginalise us and deny us a rightful and legitimate place in this society.
So if you are a Gypsy or Traveller please sign this petition to help safeguard our future.
If you are a non-Gypsy or Traveller please sign this to help us safeguard our future and to bring down this racist law that belongs to a darker past.”
The petition can be signed by following this link: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/support-uk-s-romany-gypsy-traveller-people-to-bring-down-a-new-law-which-seeks-to-deny-us-a-home?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1453892721
The Travellers’ Times will be following the organisers as they plan the event and reporting on developments as they happen. This Friday we will be publishing a statement from the organisers. We will be also busy sewing our TT banner to get ready for the big day and offering media support to this important and empowering campaign!