On 27th October, officials from the City of Helsinki evicted a community of Romanian Roma families who had been living near the Metro Station Kalasatama. With nowhere to go, the families huddled under the bridge of the Metro Station while the Real Estate Department ordered the Public Works Deprartment to destroy the huts that the Roma families had built to protect themselves against the upcoming winter cold.  Metallic stoves were left smoking along the tracks of the metro line as the chainsaws and crowbars tore down the makeshift homes.

This Photo Report was published in Voima on October 29, 2009:

Fifi.voima.fi: Mustalaisleiri muuttaa sillan alle

Since the collapse of communism Romanian Roma lost their works. “During the socialism everybody had work”, told a roma man living in Finland. After the accession of Central and Eastern European countries to the European Union many Roma started to use their right for the free movement and residence in other EU Member States in search of better conditions of life.

Read the Report of European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published on 9 November 2009:
The situation of Roma EU citizens moving to and settling in other EU Member States

The 68-year-old-grandmother is awaiting front of her home if the huts of the Romanian Roma community will be destroyed right away by the City of Helsinki or if they can have reprieve for two weeks to find an other shelter to live in.

Read Libero magazine about habitation by the Left Youth of Finland:

LIBERO 4/2009

On 27th October, officials from the City of Helsinki evicted a community of Romanian Roma families who had been living near the Metro Station Kalasatama. The Real Estate Department ordered the Public Works Deprartment to destroy the huts that the Roma families had built to protect themselves against the upcoming winter cold.

The Romanian Roma family are awaiting if their homes will be destroyed by the City of Helsinki right away or if they can have reprieve for two weeks to find an other shelter to live in.

In the double bed slept a mude couple with their 21-year-old son. In the bed on the left side was sleeping the 68-year-old grandmother of the family.

In a corner on the right side there were a stove to make their hut home warmer.

“Why the city officials are coming with so many police, we are not criminals, we just dont have any other place to stay”, wondered the 68-year-old grandmother.

On 27th October the Real Estate Department’s Esa Andstein ordered the Public Works Deprartment’s Hannnu Jukarainen to execute the destroy of the huts of the Romanian Roma families with a purpose to clean the property of the City of Helsinki from illegal constructions.

On 27th October, officials from the City of Helsinki with support of dozen police evicted a community of Romanian Roma families who had been living near the Metro Station Kalasatama. With nowhere to go, the families huddled under the bridge of the Metro Station while the Real Estate Department ordered the Public Works Deprartment to destroy the huts that the Roma families had built to protect themselves against the upcoming winter cold.

On 27th October, officials from the City of Helsinki evicted a community of Romanian Roma families who had been living near the Metro Station Kalasatama. With nowhere to go, the families huddled under the bridge of the Metro Station while the Real Estate Department ordered the Public Works Deprartment to destroy the huts that the Roma families had built to protect themselves against the upcoming winter cold.  Metallic stoves were left smoking along the tracks of the metro line as the chainsaws and crowbars tore down the makeshift homes.