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Gyspy scare stories given Jewish makeover

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A group campaigning for the rights of Britain's traveller communities has set up a website substituting the word gypsy in "blatantly racist" headlines with the word Jew.

The Dale Farm Solidarity group built Jewify to raise awareness of the "official institutions, mainstream politicians, or newspapers openly espousing…racism against Gypsies".

The site allows users to see what newspaper articles would look like if their subject was the Jewish people. A 2008 story in the Express about politician Tessa Jowell's reaction to a gypsy camp near her house was altered to read: "Anger at Jewish invasion near Jowell's retreat".

A Mirror story from earlier this headlined was given the new headline: "Jews lose driving licences for allegedly paying people to pass tests for them".

According to the creators, while "racism of many kinds, including antisemitism, is alive and well" in the UK, it only remains socially acceptable when directed at Travellers and Roma people.

Referring to the Daily Mail's coverage of Oswald Mosley and the fascist movement in the 1930s, the creators added: "Whipping up fear against Travellers and other racial minorities is nothing new for [them].

"But when the blackshirts tried to march through Jewish neighbourhoods in the East End of London, anti-fascists rallied in defence of their Jewish neighbors.

"We say again, No Pasaran! They shall not pass."

Jewify

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