More than 30,000 Germans mobilized for their compatriot Carola Rackete on Saturday, July 6, according to the organizers of the initiative. They demonstrated across the Rhine in a hundred cities in solidarity with the captain of the Sea-Watch and to claim support for migrants rescued by NGOs in the Mediterranean
In Berlin, the procession numbered some 8,000 people, while in Hamburg, 4,000 people participated in the parade, according to the collective Seebrücke.
In total, sit-ins, parades and rallies took place in a hundred cities throughout Germany.
"Sea rescue knows no borders, just like our solidarity," Sea-Watch captain Carola Rackete said in a message to protesters in Berlin.
"The irresponsibility of the European states forced me to act as I did," said the young German who is still in Italy.
Great momentum of solidarity in Germany
At the helm of the Sea-Watch, a ship of the German NGO of the same name, Carola Rackete was arrested after forcibly arrived last week on the Italian island of Lampedusa to disembark 40 migrants rescued at sea and stuck on board for more than two weeks.
On Tuesday, an Italian judge invalidated her arrest on the grounds that she had acted to save lives. Two separate investigations, for resistance to an officer and for help with illegal immigration, continue to weigh on her.
The young woman has generated a great momentum of solidarity in Germany as the voices in civil society multiply to require the reception in Germany of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean.
In particular, they demanded that Berlin take charge of the migrants currently on two boats off Lampedusa, Alan Kurdi and Alex.
Wearing lifejackets, protesters in Berlin denounced the criminalization of the rescue at sea and particularly attacked the Italian Minister of the Interior (far right) Matteo Salvini.
With AFP