Thousands rally to get migrant rescue ship’s flag back
PARIS: Thousands of people attended rallies across Europe to show support for migrant rescue ship Aquarius, stuck in port in the French city of Marseille after Panama revoked its flag.
Dozens of demonstrations were held in France including in Paris, as well as in Brussels, Berlin, Madrid and Palermo.
Many dressed in the boat’s orange colours and chanted for “a flag for Aquarius” while slamming the “criminal inaction” of EU governments to resolve the impasse.
Marseille, home to the SOS Mediterranee NGO which operates the vessel with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), saw the largest show of support.
Organisers said 10,000 people took part in the demonstration though police put the figure at nearer 3,500.
A similar rally in Paris also drew a crowd of around 10,000, accord- ing to the organisers, while police put the figure at a tenth as many.
“The goal is to make an appeal to citizens and show that SOS Mediterranee draws its legitimacy from civil society,” said the NGO’s spokesman Sophie Rahal in Paris.
Panama last month pulled the ship’s flag following a request from Italy’s far-right, anti-establishment government, meaning the Aquarius cannot legally set sail. The boat’s operators say it has rescued some 29,500 migrants to date and SOS Mediterranee president Francis Vallat said “the situation is more critical than ever”.