“It will serve to steal them from the Libyan Coast Guard”

British artist Banksy has painted and finances the Sea-Watch ship that carries out rescue operations in the Mediterranean. This was announced by the German NGO itself on Twitter. The ship, named Louise Michel in honor of a French feminist anarchist, set sail on August 18 from the Spanish port of Burriana, near Valencia, and is now in the central Mediterranean where she rescued 89 people in distress, including 14 women and Four children.

“We are enthusiastic about these pink reinforcements,” writes the NGO in reference to the color that the anonymous artist used for his graffiti on the ship. According to guardian, the ship is now looking for a safe port to disembark passengers. The crew, made up of European activists with long experience in search and rescue operations, had already witnessed two other rescue operations involving a total of 105 people, who are now on board the Sea-Watch 4 ship.

Painted in bright pink and featuring Banksy artwork depicting a girl in a life jacket holding a heart-shaped safety buoy, the Louise Michel sails under the German flag. The 31-meter motor yacht, formerly owned by French customs authorities, is smaller but considerably faster than other NGO rescue boats.

Banksy’s involvement in the rescue mission, The Guardian writes, dates back to September 2019, when the artist sent an email to Pia Klemp, a German activist who has long been involved in migrant rescue operations. “Hi Pia, I read your story in the newspapers. You seem tough,” Banksy would have written in the email. “I’m an artist from the UK and I’ve done a bit of work on the migration crisis. I can’t keep the money. Could you use it to buy a new boat or something? Please let me know. Banksy.”

Klemp, who initially thought it was a joke, believes Banksy chose her for her political stance. “I do not see the rescue at sea as a humanitarian action, but as part of an anti-fascist struggle,” he told The Guardian. The activist clarified that Banksy’s participation in the operations is limited to providing financial support.

With a top speed of 27 knots, the Louise Michel could “hopefully pass the so-called Libyan coast guard before they reach the ships with refugees and migrants and take them back to the detention camps in Libya,” Klemp explained.