How rad is this, Banksy is normally known for his street art, being anonymous and a political activist. He’s taken it a step further and funded a new rescue boat called ‘M.V. Louise Michel’ and it’s helping save the most vulnerable, refugees.
It all started back to September 2019, when he sent an email to Pia Klemp, a former captain of several NGO boats that have rescued thousands of people over recent years. Pia thought is was a joke at first, but once she realised it was real she believed Banksy picked her due to her political stance. Email below;
“Hello Pia, I’ve read about your story in the papers. You sound like a badass,” he wrote. “I am an artist from the UK and I’ve made some work about the migrant crisis, obviously I can’t keep the money. Could you use it to buy a new boat or something? Please let me know. Well done. Banksy.”
From the website: “Our Mission – 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.”
Banksy will have no involvement with the everyday running of the boat and only offer financial support. The lifeboat runs off donations and you can donate HERE. A crew of 10 run the Louise Michel & are all self confessed anti-racist and anti-fascist activists advocating for radical political change.
“The lifeboat Louise Michel, named after a French feminist anarchist, is a former French Navy boat customised to perform search and rescue and sails under a German flag. Measuring 30 meters in length and capable of over 28 knots, bought with proceeds from the sale of a Banksy migrant artwork.”
All images from Louise Michel
They have a live feed and you can see it in action HERE, it’s already saving lives in the Mediterranean sea.
Here’s a cool little video from his Instagram about it.
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