F
foxy black
Guest
11 APR 12 / 09:03:51/Bojana Barlovac BIRN Belgrade
Furious locals from the suburb of Resnik say they may block railway lines if the city proceeds with a plan to relocate 20 Roma families in their area.
Locals from Resnik, a Belgrade suburb at the foot of Mt Avala, are collecting signatures for a petition against what they calls plans to create a "ghetto" in their neighbourhood.
They oppose city plans to move a makeshift Roma settlement near the Belville residential block of New Belgrade to housing containers in Resnik.
Branko Maric from Resnik said locals were not racists or against anyone's residence in the settlement as they already have hundreds of local Roma.
"We oppose the city's overnight decision to plans a ghetto in our fields," Maric told Balkan Insight.
So far, some 1,000 signatures have been collected and locals plan to continue with protests and even block Belgrade-Bar railway until authorities gave up the plan.
The land in Resnik on which 20 Roma families are to moved from the unhygienic settlement at Belleville is in public ownership.
On Sunday, a violence broke out when a group of local residents in Resnik attempted to prevent the placement of housing containers meant to provide homes for the Roma.
Twelve police officers were injured when bottles and stones were hurled at them. Two locals were also reported injured. Police detained 15 locals for interviews at the police station.
Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas condemned the violence and told Resnik residents that the 20 Roma families "cannot jeopardize them in any way.
"Our idea is not to make ghettos, though we are aware of the fact that some citizens are fearful," Djilas added.
Belgrade Suburb Protests Against Roma 'Ghetto' :: Balkan Insight
