A young Romani family from Svitavy, Czech Republic has become the victim of an attack by an older man who allegedly shouted death threats and racist abuse at them. He is also alleged to have aimed a firearm that was not loaded at the male partner of a young Romani woman and to have pulled the trigger.

The incident transpired on Friday, 3 May around 18:00 when the young Romani woman and her boyfriend parked their car outside their relatives’ home. Police have confirmed to news server Romea.cz that they are investigating the case but say there is no proof the attack was racially motivated. “I can confirm the incident transpired on 3 May 2024 around 18:00 in Svitavy. We are investigating,” police spokesperson Markéta Janovská told news server Romea.cz.

“As we were driving back from the store, we drove down the street where my aunt lives, and she’d just gotten into her own car with her kids. We parked and chatted with her for a moment,” said the young Romani woman, whose identity is known to Romea.cz and who has asked to remain anonymous. “At that moment an older gentleman drove up and became enraged because he couldn’t drive past. My boyfriend moved the car and made room for him, but the man waved his fist at us and began to shout threats. He stopped his car, got out, and shouted ‘Gypsies, you black monkeys, I’m going to kill you’,” the young Romani woman recalled with horror.

According to her, the situation escalated fast. The man, who was unknown to the Romani family, allegedly first pulled a black axe out of his car and waved it in their direction.

Next, he took a firearm out and aimed it directly at the woman’s partner. “He clicked the gun as if loading it, and fortunately he apparently did not have any bullets in it. We were in shock,” the young Romani woman related to Romea.cz.

It is not clear what kind of firearm was involved, whether an actual gun or an air or gas-propelled one. An eyewitness was on the scene who saw the entire incident and allegedly also filmed it.

Link: https://romea.cz/en/czech-republic/svitavy-czech-republic-man-threatens-young-romani-family-with-an-axe-and-a-firearm-allegedly-calling-them-black-monkeys-but-police-say-there-is-no-proof-of-racial-motivation-yet

Biljana Tasić is a teacher of the Romani language at the "Branko Pešić" Elementary School, the only one in Belgrade where Romani is taught as an optional subject. Her path to education was not easy - she and her two older sisters were raised by a single mother. As she says, all three, now academic citizens, had the most problems in elementary school, where they were the target of peer discrimination.

In addition to discrimination, poverty and early Romani child marriages, which, Tasić emphasizes, are not part of the Romani tradition, represent the biggest obstacles faced by young Romani men and women. - I know it is not easy when there is no one, when poverty presses in, when the cold presses in, when there is no food, clothes and shoes. It's all very difficult, but it's not impossible to overcome. That's why I would like to encourage everyone, dream your dream and don't give up on it because someone will discourage you and say you're not for it - says Biljana Tasić for "Blic" television. Such motivational words are not lacking in her pedagogical approach, so it is not surprising that she is one of the favorite teachers at school.

She instilled good work habits in Aleksandar and Filip Trajković. They are currently finishing high school and making academic plans. In their free time, they play music, and have recently been active in the National Theatre. Although they are now accepted in their immediate environment, this is not always the case. Ugly words affect them, but as they mature, they learn to ignore mean comments.

- I meet mostly every day, sometimes less sometimes more. It mostly happens in society, those looks, sometimes I hear whispers among people. No one will sit next to me on the bus - say the Trajkovići.