Romanian expelled from train

Alert DateApril 22, 2009 Country: Portugal Address: Porto, Portugal General Type: Discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-roma/zinghanophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Daily life
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Romanian
Victims Gender Male
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number 6
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Portuguese
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number 1
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

On April 22, the association SOS Racismo [SOS Racism]  received a complaint regarding the fact that five or six Romanian individuals, supposedly of Roma origin, were prevented from travelling in a train, in the region of Porto, in the north of Portugal. Two passengers of the train, who considered the action of the employee of the train company to be racist, presented the complaint. According to the testimony, they were prevented from travelling in the train because the employee of the train company accused them of lack of hygiene. A police force, the Guarda Nacional Republicana [National Republican Guard] (GNR) was called and the Romanian citizens left the train. SOS Racismo criticizes the intervention of the GNR because, according to the testimony, there was no infringement of the law by the Romanian citizens. SOS Racismo also claims that such incidents are common but they are seldom denounced.

Source:
Jornal Público, 24.04.2009,  http://www.publico.pt/Sociedade/cp-abre-inquerito-sobre-alegado-caso-de-racismo-1376499