Above: Pia Klemp by Paul Lovis Wagner from Sea Watch.
Pia Klemp, the German boat captain who faces a long and costly trial in Italy for charges targeting her humanitarian efforts on behalf of refugees, has rejected a humanitarian award from the mayor of France. Klemp faces up to 20 years in prison for years of work with the civilian lifeboat “Iuventa” that saved at least 1,000 lives of migrants. ON her Facebook page in response the award she wrote:
THE CITY OF PARIS IS AWARDING PIA KLEMP THE GREAT VERMEIL MEDAL
Paris, I love you. I love you for the free and solidarian people that live in you. Fighting for their freedom every day, standing shoulder to shoulder, distributing blankets, friendship and solidarity. I love you for those who are sharing their homes, love and struggles everyday – regardless of their nationality, regardless if they have papers or not.
Mrs. Hidalgo, you want to get my medal for my solidarian action in the Mediterranean Sea, because our crews work to rescue migrants from difficult conditions on a daily basis. At the same time your police are stealing blankets from people that you force to live on the streets, while you raid protests and criminalize people who are standing up for migrants and asylum seekers. You want to give me a medal for actions that you fight in your own ramparts. I am sure you will be surprised that I decline the Grand Vermeil medal.
Paris, I’m not a humanitarian. I am not there to ‘help’. I stand with you in solidarity. We do not need medals. We do not need who is a ‘hero’ and who is ‘illegal’. In fact they are in no position to make this call, because we are all equal.
What we need is freedom and rights. It is time we call hypocrite honoring and filling the void with social justice. It is time we cast all medals into spearheads of revolution!
Documents and housing for all!
Freedom of movement and residence!