Banksy finances boat to save refugees in the Mediterranean. The little girl with the balloon is now holding a life preserver

    He financed a rescue ship to help refugees in the Mediterranean. this time Banksy really left us speechless

    He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

    He financed a rescue ship to help refugees in the Mediterranean. This time Banksy really blew us away. In the last few hours, images of a pink boat have appeared on social media: it is the Louise Michel that Banksy has “decorated” as well as having paid out of his own pocket.





    Banksy has now accustomed us to his strong messages, to his street art works that denounce, without turning around, the distortions of society. The of her are real punches in the stomach that excite and indignant. But this in our opinion surpasses them all.

    His latest work of art is a hymn to solidarity, to human life that does not look to geographic origin but only wants to help those born on the "wrong" side of the world and hoping for a different future. This time it's not just his art that speaks to him. Bansky has decided to shake public opinion on the issue of immigration, unfortunately often exploited in political debates. And to do so, he even financed a ship capable of providing aid to those who risk dying at sea.

    The ship, named Louise Michel in honor of a French feminist anarchist, left in secret on August 18 from the Spanish port of Burriana, near Valencia, and is now in the central Mediterranean where yesterday she rescued 89 people in distress, including 14 women. and four children. The crew, made up of European activists with a long experience in search and rescue operations, has already participated in two rescue operations involving a total of 105 people, now on board the NGO Sea-Watch 4.

    Tuesday early morning #LouiseMichel conducted parallel search with @seawatchcrew in heavy seas. Due to its speed, the Louise reached the scene first and quickly provided assistance. pic.twitter.com/NHjvfRjLWP

    — LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 27, 2020

    A night later, @alarm_phone alerted us about a boat in distress. The search took us hours in worsening weather conditions & increasing swell. Luckily the boat was found and our crew could provide first assistance, until in the morning @seawatchcrew could take the people on board. pic.twitter.com/3XfAmkhZeV



    — LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 25, 2020

    Painted bright pink, the ship depicts a little girl in a life jacket holding a heart-shaped safety buoy. The reference to his famous little girl with the balloon is clear. And even the message, despite the 18 years difference since the publication of that work (it was 2002 when it appeared on the walls of London) appears the same: love, hope, innocence.

    Banksy finances boat to save refugees in the Mediterranean. The little girl with the balloon is now holding a life preserver

    ©Twitter/MVLouiseMichel

    The Louise Michel sails under a German flag. The 31-meter motor yacht, previously owned by the French customs authorities, is smaller but considerably faster than other NGO rescue boats. Banksy's involvement in the rescue mission dates back to September 2019 when the street artist sent an email to Pia Klemp, the former captain of several NGO boats that have saved thousands of people in recent years:

    “Hi Pia, I read about your story in the papers. You look like a tough guy. I'm an artist from the UK and I've done some work on the migrant crisis, obviously I can't keep the money. Could you use them to buy a new boat or something? Please let me know. Banksy. "

    Klemp, who initially thought it was a joke, believes she was chosen by Banksy because of her political stance. She explained to The Guardian that Banksy's involvement in the operations is limited to providing financial support.

    With a maximum speed of 27 knots, the Louise Michel would be capable of

    "Hopefully get past the so-called Libyan coast guard before boarding boats with refugees and migrants and taking them back to detention camps in Libya," Klemp said.

    Banksy finances boat to save refugees in the Mediterranean. The little girl with the balloon is now holding a life preserver

    ©Twitter/MVLouiseMichel

    According to the International Organization for Migration, this year more than 7.600 migrants have been intercepted and brought back to Libya, a war-torn country where various political factions continue to struggle for power. Often confined to camps, migrants in Libya live in a desperate situation, with acts of systematic torture and rape long documented by human rights organizations.



    The Louise Michel's 10 crewmembers have diverse backgrounds, but they all identify as activists advocating radical political change. Lea Reisner, nurse and head of mission for the first rescue operation, said the project was anarchic at its heart, intended to bring together a range of struggles for social justice, including women's rights, racial equality, rights of migrants, environmentalism and animal rights.

    Claire Faggianelli, an activist who prepared Louise Michel for her first mission, saw the project as a wake-up call for Europe:

    “We really want to try to awaken Europe's conscience and say, 'Look, we've been yelling at you for years now. There is something that shouldn't happen right on the edge of Europe, and close your eyes. Wake up!"

    Sources of reference: The Guardian,

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