Present Day Persecution: We fear what we do not understand.

They speak their own language. They disregard local law. They practice suspicious professions - fortune tellers, dancers, fiddlers, horse traders, living a mysterious romantic lifestyle Around the globe gypsies pass across the landscape - always the quintessential outsiders.... The Gypsies! They suffered centuries of persecution at the hands of those who found them strange, disturbing, and alien. But, paradoxically, the very societies that castigated gypsies have also revered their special skills, and ascribed mysterious magical powers to them. Romantic to some, threatening to others, always seen from a distance by outsiders' eyes, the gypsy ways are largely hidden to us. (Roma History)

Roma Rights, give some indication of the day-to-day discrimination and persecution throughout Europe (ERRC) that Roma still suffer. Such persecution -- often officially meted out-- is particularly severe and brutal in the countries of eastern Europe.

Bulgaria:

The latest news on Roma in Bulgaria is of starvation and food riots and police abuse in their wake. February 1997 that three Romani children from the town of Stara Zagora starved to death. On 4 February, following a rise in bread prices, two thousand Roma in the central Bulgarian city of Pazardzhik demonstrated to protest against discrimination by the government and local authorities. Following the demonstration, a group of Romani children allegedly began throwing stones at three food shops and shouting, `We are hungry!' One of the shops was looted for food while, according to testimony, approximately fifteen police officers looked on and encouraged the appropriation of food, but warned the looters not to cause damage to the shops. (Roma: Persecution)

Romania:

Madonna was jeered by the audience in Bucharest after saying the discrimination "made me feel very sad".

Publicist Liz Rosenberg said Madonna made the comments after being made aware of the prejudice towards Romany people in Eastern Europe.

The star uses a group of Roma musicians on her Sticky and Sweet tour.

Madonna paused during her two-hour show to say: "It has been brought to my attention, that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe - it made me feel very sad." (Madonna)

Nearly half of Europe's estimated 12 million Roma claimed to have suffered an act of discrimination over the past 12 months, according to a recent report by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency.The agency says Roma face "overt discrimination" in housing, health care and education.