Italian authorities have confiscated a rescue ship funded by renowned British graffiti artist Banksy, following its involvement in the rescue of 37 people in the Mediterranean Sea. Banksy condemned the seizure as abhorrent and unacceptable, particularly highlighting that the ship had saved 17 unaccompanied minors who were on the verge of drowning.
The decision to detain the ship followed a few days after a rubber boat, staged with fake refugees, was launched into the crowd during a performance by the British rock band IDLES. Banksy orchestrated this stunt to highlight the plight of refugees in Europe and the tragic loss of lives in the Mediterranean Sea. The British Home Secretary condemned the stunt, describing it as despicable.
On his Instagram account, Banksy issued a statement, asserting that the migrant rescue ship MV Louise Michel had saved 17 unaccompanied children. He claimed that the detention of the ship by Italian authorities was a retaliatory measure for this rescue operation.
The detained rescue ship, a former French naval vessel, was purchased using proceeds from the sale of Banksy’s artwork and is operated by activists dedicated to migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean. Named after a French anarchist feminist, the ship features Banksy’s artwork of a girl in a life jacket holding a heart-shaped buoy.
According to a statement on the ship’s social media account, Italian authorities detained the vessel for 20 days, just one day after it participated in rescuing 37 migrants from drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. The organization managing the ship explained, “Our crew was instructed to disembark all survivors in Pozzallo, Sicily. However, due to the expected severe weather conditions en route, the crew sought shelter near Lampedusa. During the night, we received authorization to disembark the survivors there.” The statement continued that the Italian authorities justified the detention by claiming the ship had not adhered to orders to disembark in Sicily. The organization condemned the detention as a political maneuver and demanded the ship’s immediate release.
This is not the first instance of the ship being detained; it was previously held in March 2023. After responding to a distress call in the Mediterranean, the Italian authorities justified the detention by citing the ship’s breach of new protocols imposed by the right-wing government in Italy. These new rules complicated the coordination of rescue operations during a surge of migrant boats arriving in Lampedusa.
