Hundreds protest Roma fingerprint plan

Fingerprinting would 'prevent phenomena such as begging': member of PM's party

Agence France-Presse
Published: Monday, July 07, 2008

ROME - Hundreds took to the streets of Rome on Monday in protest at a controversial Italian government scheme which has seen the fingerprinting of Roma, often referred to as gypsies.

The demonstration was organized by the ARCI cultural association, which encouraged participants to give their own fingerprints in a petition of protest called the "imprint of racism."

Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni on June 26 announced that the fingerprinting of Roma would be carried out by police and in cooperation with the Red Cross.

A member of the right-wing Northern League party in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition, Maroni said that children would be fingerprinted "to prevent phenomena such as begging."

The lay Catholic Community of SantEgidio said last week that troubling ethnic and religious details had also been gathered from inhabitants aged 14 and upwards at a camp near Naples.

When organizing the protest, ARCI denounced the gypsy ID measure as "an act of discrimination and of persecution" and called on sympathizers to express their "indignation."

EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot on Monday demanded an explanation from Italy about the proposed measure.

"It's important for me that there is an extremely precise and clear investigation," he said. "My job is to ensure that fundamental rights are respected in Europe."

Barrot said Maroni promised to send him a report before the end of July explaining the government's actions and what it plans to do next.

He also said the minister had assured him that the head of the UNICEF children's agency had accepted Rome's plans.

The large number of Roma in Italy became an election issue in Berlusconi's ultimately successful campaign to return to the Italian prime ministership earlier this year.

© Agence France-Presse 2008