Renowned street artist Banksy admitted this week that he is sponsoring a humanitarian boat that is rescuing hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean.
The bright pink nonprofit search and rescue ship MV Lewis Mitchell was drawn by an internationally renowned undercover artist who posted a video on Instagram on Saturday about financially supporting the rescue operation.
“Like most people who make it in the art world, I bought a yacht for a mad cruise,” he wrote in captions with video. “It is a French naval vessel that we have converted into a lifeboat because the EU authorities deliberately ignore the distress calls of non-Europeans.”
The subversive artist continued: “All Black Live Matter.”
Louis Mitchell has been rescuing groups of migrants, including women, children and the body of a man in the Mediterranean, recorded during his first defense voyage.
The ship’s crew requested help and a safe port early Saturday, saying it had rescued so many people that it could no longer navigate safely. The Italian Coast Guard said it sent a ship to carry the most vulnerable people from 49 ships to be delivered to a safe place.
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The United Nations refugee agency on Saturday urged European countries to allow them to relocate.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said more than 200 rescued refugees and migrants were “far beyond its safe carrying capacity” as they had to leave Louis Mitchell immediately.
Hundreds of migrations on two other charity ships have also been mentioned in the UNHCR and IOM’s application as an urgent need to find a safe port. Agencies say migrants from Libya, including a pregnant woman and children, were rescued on August 5 and trapped by commercial tanker Mersk Etienne for an “unacceptable three-week period”.
A further 200 people were rescued on Sea Watch 4, who waited days for permission to enter the port, they also needed immediate help, the agencies added.
“Humanitarian obligations to save lives should not be penalized or stigmatized, especially in the absence of state-led efforts,” the agencies said.
The agencies expressed concern about the lack of EU-led search and rescue operations dedicated to the Mediterranean and the lack of action in European countries to support migrants arriving by sea to Italy and Malta.
The Associated Press contributes to this report.
