. Another issue stemmed around the difference between ethnic Gypsies and those people from the settled community who simply declared themselves a “Traveller”. This was followed by an influx of Irish Gypsies and Gypsies from Europe, and so on. A few years ago, when I was in regular contact with the Gypsy Council, and had just publish an article about Gypsies who served in the Soviet Red Army – I was attacked by an Irish youth from a nearby Traveller community that had took-over a park. I say “attacked” – but as a trained martial artist and a law abiding citizen, I simply “moved out the way” of this short kids punches – which made his friends laugh and pull him away. Obviously, I did not grass, but I suspect the entire encounter is on the Sainsbury car-park CCTV. It is a sad state of affairs all round. Some of these people are violent and obnoxious because of the things that have been done to them in the past – this must be understood – but the prejudice aimed at Travellers is breath-taking! No other disadvantaged group wants anything to do with them. You will not see BLM or Palestine Solidarity turning-up to protest their treatment or demand their rights. Physical violence does not bother me – it is an occupational hazard – but for many others the shock of it far too much to take, and around it goes.
