![Italy blocks Banksy-funded migrant rescue ship 1 0020878d 800](https://img.rasset.ie/0020878d-800.jpg)
A rescue ship funded by mysterious British artist, Banksy, has been grounded in port for defying orders to disembark rescued migrants in Italy. The Louise Michel ship, named after a feminist anarchist, was supposed to take 37 people to Sicily but instead took them to Lampedusa due to rough seas.
After 20 days of detention in Lampedusa, the charity running the vessel announced on social media that the ship had been detained for not following orders to disembark in Sicily. Italy’s right-wing government has been criticized for its actions towards charity rescue ships, including increasing fuel costs and directing them to distant ports.
Banksy, known for his social and political activism, continues to support the charity and the 30-metre-long rescue vessel. Louise Michel, the namesake behind the ship, was a French feminist anarchist from the 19th century. The situation highlights the ongoing struggles faced by charity rescue ships in the Mediterranean.