Banksy bought a refugee rescue boat and its crew is saving lives
Street artist Banksy bought a boat that's currently patrolling the Mediterranean to rescue refugees. Named for French anarchist Louise Michel (1830-1905), the ship's mission is "to uphold maritime law and rescue anyone in peril without prejudice. We onboard the Louise Michel believe we are all individuals, nationality should not make a difference to what rights one has and how we treat each other. We answer the SOS call of all those in distress, not just to save their souls - but our own." Follow the missions of the MV Louise Michel here. From CNN:
The boat first set sail on August 18 with 10-person crew and helped rescue 89 people on Thursday in its first mission, according to a Louise Michel spokesperson.
The vessel is still in the Mediterranean Sea, the spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Friday, and looking to find a port of safety for those rescued, or to transfer them to a European coastguard ship.
According to the organization's Twitter page, the rescued refugees traveled from Libya and are "safe onboard."
"After dealing with dehydration, fuel burns and injuries from the torture they suffered in Libya, they have a moment of respite," the organization said in a tweet on Friday.
- LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 28, 2020
Alert! #LouiseMichel assisted another 130 people - among them many women & children - and nobody is helping! We are reaching a State of Emergency. We need immediate assistance, @guardiacostiera & @Armed_Forces_MT. We are safeguarding 219 people with a crew of 10. Act #EU, now!
images: MV Louise Michel