Diane Abbott’s letter and the reaction to it marginalises Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities
JVL Introduction
The response to Diane Abbott’s letter to the Observer (20.04.23) has focused mainly on antisemitism and, indeed, this has been the given reason for her suspension. Our own response, in our need to respond swiftly to the ferocity of the attacks, focused on the letter, despite its faults, not being antisemitic and on the importance of addressing anti Black racism. This is correct and the experiences of people of the Irish and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are equally important.
We are pleased, therefore, to publish this piece from a campaigner for justice for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people. The ongoing discrimination against people from these communities needs to be better known and understood. Here, he writes of his anger at what happened and what has been happening, including within the antiracist movement:he says: “…, the experiences of Gypsies and Travellers are often overlooked and under-represented….This conversation has already been divisive and it will continue for a significant time.” He concludes on a potentially hopeful note, with which we concur: “anti-racism succeeds when people reflect on their biases, admit where they were wrong, and challenge those beliefs to become a better ally. There is a chance to use this opportunity to make changes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. There must be unity in the endeavour to be anti-racist.”
There is also a very good intervention by Ben Smoke on Newsnight with Kirsty Warke (despite her best endeavours to impose her own agenda on him…), on how the real issues are being avoided in the way the controversy is being played out by the Labour party.
This article was originally published by The i (Opinion) on Wed 26 Apr 2023. Read the original here.
After Diane Abbott’s letter, I saw how easily racism against Travellers like me is dismissed
Like many of the incredibly wonderful, diverse people that reside in the UK, I was shocked to read the letter by Diane Abbott that appeared in The Observer on Sunday, dismissing the racism and discrimination experienced by the Jewish community, Gypsies and my own ethnic group, Irish Travellers.
Abbott has since apologised, but the familiar feeling of seeing yet another high-profile elected representative publicly display such deep-rooted prejudice of Gypsies and Travellers was infuriating, yet unsurprising.
Racism and discrimination towards my community is rife – a daily occurrence and normalised within society. From the looks at the school gates, to being followed by security in shops, denied access to pubs and restaurants, discrimination has sadly become part of my community’s identity, exacerbating the inequalities we face across education, health and social justice.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, that was passed in parliament last year, made nomadic lifestyle effectively illegal – trespassing is now be a criminal offence and means police can arrest members of the community and confiscate their homes. It felt like a direct attack on Gypsy and Travellers’ rights. When racist laws and rhetoric comes from the top of the power structure, it will infect the foundations that make up our society.
The swift response to address Abbott’s letter, with national news outlets and political parties condemning the remarks, would suggest that anti-racism is high on the agenda. However, you will notice there is a significant lack of mention of Gypsies and Travellers in this dialogue, despite being explicitly referenced within the letter.
This discourse that one form of racism outweighs another is an incredibly dangerous ideology that will harm communities like mine, who already bear their traumas in their failing mental and physical health, as well as the daily exclusion from all areas of society.
The lack of inclusion of Gypsies and Travellers within the public condemnation of this letter begs the question: would Diane Abbott have been suspended from the party if the remarks were solely about Gypsies and Travellers? As an ally to the Jewish community, I welcome the swift action to challenge antisemitism, however I am left wondering “where is the accountability and justice for Gypsies and Travellers?”. Once again, we have been overlooked and the discrimination we face is disregarded, downplayed and frankly ignored.
Within the anti-racism movement, the experiences of Gypsies and Travellers are often overlooked and under-represented – and the failure to acknowledge this letter’s impact on Gypsies and Travellers equally alongside the Jewish community is yet another example of this.
This conversation has already been divisive and it will continue for a significant time. But anti-racism succeeds when people reflect on their biases, admit where they were wrong, and challenge those beliefs to become a better ally.
There is a chance to use this opportunity to make changes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. There must be unity in the endeavour to be anti-racist.
Martin Gallagher is a writer and campaigner for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller rights
I agree, it is still deemed acceptable to abuse Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
What is needed is some high level endorsement of these communities, starting with our new King, who should invite representatives for tea and make sure it gets the publicity it deserves
In life all you can really do is stand up for those you love
What a relief that JVL has shared this article , and I hope the Anti-racist network will build links with Martin Gallagher. In my earlier response to the controversy about Diane Abbott I was feeling very disappointed that hardly anyone in JVL (and no one in the PLP) was speaking up for the Travellers, who are suffering a concerted move to eliminate them altogether.
As a city councillor I was dragged into horrible anti GRT racism when we tried to set up official stop over sites for travellers to use on their way through the district. People invaded City Hall and physically attacked the Labour councillors proposing the scheme including me. Before security and the police intervened. I have never seen this before or since. The plan was stopped. Travellers continue to use and often mess up inappropriate sites. In the years since some families have bought plots in industrial areas, fenced them off and use them as stopovers. But not everyone can do this and it isnt what they want.
More recently in the dying days of our membersip of the EU, thousands of Slovakian Roma came to Bradford escaping the physical abuse, discrimination on all levels and sheer hatred ‘back home’. Which I have witnessed also. Very shocking and scary to have a cultured, educated, senior Slovak government official suddenly use words like ‘vermin’ and imply extermination for people who have lived in his country for hundreds of years, in a casual conversation.
Like most groups coming to Bradford they are just fitting in to the hotchpotch of ethnicities in this city and were surprised that there is suspicion but not hatred or official discrimination against them. It is heartwarming to see them celebrating their community at fairs and public events alongside other peoples and their children moving through the education system and into good employment alongside other Bradfordians.