Greek Gypsies Say They're Vilified

FARSALA, Greece - Some of the houses in the Roma settlement near the central Greek town of Farsala resemble containers ? the kind that would usually be found on ships. Outside, groups of children are playing and laughing in the early evening. Inside, the mood is more somber as their parents watch the latest developments of a case that is very close to their hearts unfold on television. 'They call us Roma on the TV but in the streets they shout out Gypsy, spitting and walking away from us,' says Maria, a 20 year-old Roma mother of one. A sparkling golden colored pin holds her long blonde hair in a bun, her fair cheeks are flush with pique and her fists are restless as she places them in the pockets of her white jumper. 'The press says we dance like monkeys or bears, just because we're celebrating - they want to ridicule us.' Maria is livid. She feels her community is being vilified by Greek and international media after the fair-haired infant, who is now known across the world as 'Maria', was found with a Roma couple who claimed to be her parents at the settlement.

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