Funded by Banksy's group, Migrant Rescue Boat Held in Italy for Saving 37 Lives at Sea

A rescue boat associated with British artist Banksy has been taken over by Italian officials, following an incident where 37 individuals were saved from the central Mediterranean sea. The crew of the involved vessel shared this information on social media platforms.

This event occurs after a previous occurrence at the Glastonbury festival, during which a simulated rescue operation involving dummy refugees was conducted by British rock band Idles and organized by Banksy's anonymous alter ego. This act drew criticism from UK Home Secretary James Cleverly.

Banksy himself posted on his Instagram account that the boat in question, named MV Louise Michel, had rescued 17 unaccompanied children a few days prior to its seizure by Italian authorities. He expressed dismay at this action as "vile and unacceptable."

The interior ministry of Italy responded by stating that they were contacting relevant departments for comments regarding the situation. The MV Louise Michel is identifiable by its distinctive pink exterior, which was originally part of a former French navy vessel, now repurposed through funding acquired from Banksy's art sales and managed by an activist group that shares his name.

According to the ship's social media account, after one night at sea following its rescue operation in Lampedusa, Italian officials had detained it for 20 days due to a directive not being followed — specifically, the disembarkation of survivors was directed towards Sicily instead. The activist crew on board has described this as a "political game" and called for the vessel's release.