Austria: Arson attacks against Romani families from Romania
Source: ROMEA
Unidentified perpetrators set fire to the tents of Romani families from Romania in the Upper Austrian city of Linz at the beginning of March. Fortunately, no one was injured in that incident.
The March incident was the third such arson attack against a Romani family since the beginning of the year. The victimized families have lost everything they own as a result of these attacks. Police are investigating the incidents as ones of "minor" property damage nonetheless. For the time being the search for the perpetrators has been unsuccessful.
After the most recent attack, the Bettellobby Oberösterreich (the Upper Austrian Lobby for Begging), said the arson attacks are targeting specific families who have been begging on the streets of Linz for some time. Most of the people begging come from Linz's sister city of Brașov in Transylvania (called Kronstadt in German). Austrian Police have not yet reported any bigger problems being caused by the begging. The city has now provided the arson victims with emergency accommodation.
The Austrian Romani organization Romano Centro has welcomed the very stern condemnation of the attacks expressed by Mayor Klaus Luger. Romano Centro has also pointed out that on the morning of the most recent attack, someone used the city's official website to denounce the Romani people for begging, to publish the exact location of their campsite, and to call for it to be cleared.
Read more: http://www.romea.cz/en/news/world/austria-arson-attacks-against-romani-families-from-romania
