Discrimination against Roma leaves Pori residents astonished

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The news that the Roma minority are denied entrance into local restaurants has generated amazement and disbelief among Pori residents. "It was quite a shock", admits Elina Kaunismäki, who works in the marketplace café.
      Pori City Manager Aino-Maija Luukkonen agrees, saying: "Such discrimination does not fit in modern society, and as far as I know, at least civil servants treat all residents equally."
      The number of the local Roma population resident in Finland's coastal city of Pori is around 300.
     
After getting thoroughly fed up with discrimination that has been going on for years, a group of four Roma with two independent witnesses finally decided to obtain proof of discrimination. All 16 of the restaurants they visited denied entry to the group.
      "It is not the most important matter whether or not we are allowed to enter a restaurant, but it proves discrimination most distinctively", notes Dimitri Hagert.
     
The test group included school assistant Dimitri Hagert, businessman Kyösti Hagert, shop assistant Janne Friman, and student Tanja Hagert, who have lived in Pori all their lives.
      We met them in the marketplace café.
      "This is a nice place to live", notes Tanja Hagert. She also says that there is nothing wrong with the school - discrimination exists elsewhere. Getting a job is difficult, seemingly because of the long skirt of the Roma woman.
      Furthermore, it is almost impossible for a Roma to obtain a training job. "I worked hard for two months in order to find suitable training jobs for some Roma attending adult education courses - without success", Dimitri reports.
     
The Roma do not claim that they are perfect. "But why should all Roma be deemed responsible for the trouble caused by some?" the group asks.
      For example, during the International Pori Jazz Festival, when two drunk Roma staggered around, all Roma were denied entry to the festival site.
      The Beerhunters microbrewery restaurant was one of those which denied entrance to the test group last Saturday. Proprietor Sinikka Heikkinen claims that the restaurant had a valid reason for their decision. "Only those who have not caused any trouble can come in", she says. After having worked in the field for 26 years, she says that she recognises the faces, and that is enough.
      "In my opinion, a ban on entrance as such is no racial discrimination. Even the majority population includes people who do not know how to behave", Heikkinen concludes.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Numerous Pori restaurants denied entry to Finland´s Roma minority (6.6.2006)

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