In pictures: A Roma eviction in France
- Published
Police raided a Roma camp in Champs-sur-Marne before dawn
Residents were given half an hour to collect their belongings
Diggers then went into action
Within an hour the camp had been razed to the ground
About 150 people were left homeless by the side of the road
After tearing the camp, police dug huge holes to prevent people from settling on the site again
But eviction only means displacement. Roma people are rebuilding huts in a wood 500m away.
Most live in makeshift camps without water or electricity
Inside the Roma tents are surprisingly tidy
The Roma too celebrate Christmas
The woods of Champs-sur-Marne provide the main source of heating for the camp dwellers
But some of the people living nearby complain about the smoke
Business student Axelle, 18: "At first I was surprised to see Roma beg at the train station. But they are not aggressive, and now I'm used to it."
Isabella, 10, is one of the few Roma camp children in Champs-sur-Marne allowed to go to school. She wants to get a job as a manicurist.
Ianut, 15, wants an education but has been rejected by a local school because he lives in a illegal camp