Campaign spokesperson Sindirela Bobarić about the PROMIJENI.net campaign on Radio Slavonija

After protests against Roma in the Zagreb neighborhood of Novi Petruševec and a series of preceding and subsequent incidents, cases of hate speech targeting Roma have significantly increased, especially on the internet. The situation has escalated to a level where we have recorded dozens of examples of hate speech, including threats and physical attacks motivated by hatred.

As a consequence, the number of situations in which individual Roma men and women experience discomfort in public transport, schools, workplaces, and other especially public places has also increased. In this regard, children and young people are particularly disadvantaged, as their integration into our society largely depends on the public image prevailing about them. Particularly damaging are hate speech messages written and spread by individuals abusing the anonymity of the internet, misusing the possibility to comment on articles and other media posts.

The Roma National Council, as a civil society organization, tries to do everything in its power to reduce the presence of hate speech and hate crimes in our country, but it is difficult for us alone to convey these messages and experiences to the wider public. Therefore, we have launched this Campaign aimed at changing attitudes toward Roma in the public space, especially on the internet as a kind of 21st-century backyard where most people spend a significant part of their time.

Stand up against hate speech on the internet. Help us achieve social change and curb the flood of hate speech rolling across our screens. We call on citizens, non-governmental organizations, media, and everyone else who can and wants to support the PROMIJENI Campaign of the Roma National Council against hate speech on the internet.