The Helsinki Committee in the March report on the human rights situation reported that the Commission for Protection against Discrimination established direct discrimination in access to goods and services for two persons of Roma ethnicity from Art Cafe Aporea from Prilep based on skin color and ethnicity .

Testing a situation is a method used in cases of discrimination in which facts and evidence are missing and which is difficult to prove.

In order to determine this discriminatory practice, a situation was tested in Art Cafe Aporea Prilep, through which the access and quality of service in the cafe bar of Roma were tested, by setting up comparators - control testers - that is, non-Roma people.

Namely, when the testers arrived in front of the cafe bar and, according to the test script, they tried to get into the building and order a drink, before the door of the coffee bar they were welcomed by a waiter who did not let them enter with an explanation that there was no place. On the question of the testers why they can not enter the cafe bar and the indication that there are free tables on the cafe bar terrace, the waiter told them that all the tables were reserved and repeated to them that they could not enter.

On the other hand, control testers, persons of Macedonian ethnicity, said that they had access to the cafe bar, that is, at the entrance of the cafe bar they were welcomed by a waiter who asked them where they wanted to sit down, accompanied them to the desired table and immediately after the order was brought their order.

Control testers said the waiter behaved kindly and culturally.
This restriction on the access of persons of Roma ethnicity by Art Cafe Aporea Prilep based on their ethnicity and skin color is a direct discrimination in access to goods and services.

Recommendation: The Helsinki Committee welcomes this opinion of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination, adopted in the legally prescribed time frame, based on the conducted testing of the situation as a method of proving discrimination. We appeal to Art Cafe Aporea Prilep in the future to provide uninterrupted and equal access and quality of service to persons of Roma ethnicity. In addition, we invite all citizens who feel discriminated on any grounds, to report the same to the Helsinki Committee.

Link: https://www.mkd.mk/makedonija/kelner-ne-im-dozvolil-na-romi-da-vlezat-vo-kafule-vo-prilep-utvrdena-e-diskriminacija

“I’ve been spat on in Chester, I’ve been shouted at, I’ve been chased by men calling me a dirty pikey,” says University of Chester student Lois who is proud to call herself a Gypsy.

Lois, who only wishes to be identified by her first name for that reason, is a British Romani woman which refers to a traditionally itinerant ethnic group which originated in India 1,000 years ago.

The 21-year-old bravely approached CheshireLive to give voice to the Gypsy and Traveller viewpoint because it is so rarely heard.

Lois, who was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘Proud Gypsy Traveller’, explained: “The reason I wanted to reach out is because a lot of the time, especially when I’m wearing this t-shirt, I’m very visible and I end up educating people in a variety of spaces.

“So I’ve been on the train and there’s been people who have been very curious and have held a lot of prejudices about the Traveller and Romani community.

“And just within having that conversation they have ended up, when I get off, saying ‘Thank you for talking to me’.

Link: https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/proud-gypsy-traveller-says-chester-16102194