Roma protest in front of Municipality
12/08/2013
The Roma evicted from their homes near the former Art Work Realization Center are staying at the Skenderbej Square, raising tents until the Tirana Mayor will give them an answer about their new shelters.
During the protest the Roma declared that they had clashed with the Municipal Police.
After being evicted, they ask the Albanian state to show interest for their issue. Civil society representatives joined their protest earlier the day.
“We have been living in Tirana for the past 600 years, and we want an end for the problem of the Roma families”, declared Xheladin Taco, representative of the Roma community.
“Urgent measures should be taken for regulating the Roma families, which have been living on the road on the last days. The respective institutions have given no alternative for sheltering the Roma community”, declared Brisilda Taco, activist for the Roma matters.
The Albanian Human Right Group also reacted for the eviction.
“The Municipality should be humane, if not professional, and the media should not treat this issue lightly, as always, because it is a very important matter’, declared Elsa Ballauri, from the Albanian Human Rights Group.
Ministry of Labor Reacts
The Ministry of Labor reacted with a press release:
“The Ministry of Labor, Social Matters and Equal opportunities has been cooperating with the Roma representative associations and we are ready to resolve this problem and support the National Rehabilitation Center of the Roma Family, in Sharre, Kombinat. This area, by a decision of the council of ministers, has passed to the state social service. A budget of the ministry has been given with the respective agreements for the reconstruction of the seven buildings in this area”, declared Kleves Bitro, director of the Ministry of Labor cabinet.