Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris take a look at Italy’s de facto Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, blasting Richard Gere. The Hollywood actor was giving a press conference for the NGO Open Arms on the Italian island of Lampedusa, when Gere stated that Italy should allow a migrant ship carrying over 160 migrants to dock in Italy.
Salvini has refused for the migrant ship from docking and then told Gere that he should fly the 160 migrants, stranded off the Italian coast back, to Hollywood on his “private jet.”
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Italy’s Matteo Salvini DEMOLISHES Hollywood Hypocrite Richard Gere by The Duran
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 277. The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris take a look at Italy’s de facto Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, blasting Richard Gere. The Hollywood actor was giving a press conference for the NGO Open Arms on the Italian island of Lampedusa, when Gere stated that Italy should allow a migrant ship carrying over 160 migrants to dock in Italy.
Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini suggested Richard Gere fly 160 migrants stranded off the Italian coast back to Hollywood on his “private jet” after the actor made a plea to European leaders to find a port for the ship.
Gere joined representatives from the non-governmental organization Open Arms at a press conference on the Italian island of Lampedusa to appeal to take in the ship. Salvini has refused to allow the vessel into Italian waters, the latest episode highlighting Europe’s divisions over immigration.
“As the generous millionaire airs his demands about the fate of the Open Arms immigrants, we thank him: he will be able to bring everyone in his private jet to Hollywood and keep them in his villas,” Salvini said in a statement after Gere’s press conference.
Salvini has made a flagship policy of refusing to allow the migrant vessels, coming mostly from nearby North Africa, to enter Italian waters. Now in the first steps of a months-long electoral campaign, Salvini is likely to double down on the anti-immigrant rhetoric that’s made him Italy’s most popular politician for now.
Safe Harbor
The migrants were rescued in international waters and have a right to safe harbor and to apply for asylum in Europe, Oscar Camps, founder of the Open Arms movement, said at the news conference. The vessel is floating in international waters near the island, which is located about half-way between Tunisia and the southern Italian coast.
Gere, 69, who went aboard the Open Arms vessel on Friday to deliver food and water, sat nearby and also called on European leaders to find a solution. The star of “American Gigolo” and “Pretty Woman” has a long history of social activism.
“The most important thing,” Gere said aboard the vessel, is for the rescued migrants “to be able to get to a free port, to be able to get off the boats and get on land and start a new life.”
Malta has said it will accept 39 of the migrants, who were rescued Friday, but other European governments have refused to allow the rest to disembark, Camps said on Twitter.
Spain’s Refusal
Salvini has dubbed the request to disembark a “provocation” that disregards the lives of the migrants and called on Spain, the country where the boat is registered, to take them in. Spanish authorities have refused, insisting it must disembark at the nearest port.
The Italian interior minister has also threatened to seize the ship, using newly acquired powers granted him by parliament just days before he pulled the plug on the shaky coalition with a populist ally and sought to force new elections.
Responding to Gere’s comments, Salvini said, “surely, he is impressed by the decisions that have been taken to bolster police and counter smugglers and criminals. Italy had been waiting for those measures for years.”
Speaking on the island on Saturday, Camps said: “No decree or fine will stop us from protecting people at sea.”
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
“… halfway between the island and Tunisia…” – – why not bring them to Tunisia, so? Why is it always Europe that has to take in these people?
Send them to France. They’re the ones who tried to snatch Libya’s oil. Hillary only wanted Ghaddafi’s arms for genocide in Syria, oh…and to dine on Ghaddafi’s liver. An old crow’s habits never change.
Because Europe too has been contributing to these peoples misery – modern form of colonialism.
I don’t think Salvini will be the dominant political force in Italy much longer. He, just like Trump, rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. I don’t think his arrogance will take him far.
Like Trump he is popular with the common people who have to live next to this rabble. You will see how popular the liberal Democrats are with the average white American come the next election.
Arrogance and clever rhetoric against political opponents can’t do miracles. You need a strong set of policies to tackle the many problems facing Italy – and you have to convince voters that you actually mean what you say.
“Salvini has made a flagship policy of refusing to allow the migrant vessels, coming mostly from nearby North Africa, to enter Italian waters.”
I’m thinking that’s a good policy for so-called “migrants” being dumped on Italy to take, don’t you?
You may be surprised at the Italian mindset. They have a built-in component of anarchy and anti-establishmentarianism that can swing both left and right in their genome and it manifests itself in ways very foreign to most other nations.
But, you may be right.
I’m pretty much convinced that these Hollywood types do these things just to gain brownie points within their tight-knit Hollywood circles, which are subsets of larger circles composed almost entirely of Hillary-style interventionist democrats, perpetually infiltrated by neocon chameleons from their own circles which in essence are diametrically opposed to the circles that they’ve penetrated but cannot resist them as soft-targets of useful idiots. The binding element between the two is of course – raw interventionism, the alleged and diverse rationales being secondary. Call it a conspiracy theory if you like but to me, it’s just a simple observation of… Read more »
Promoting cultural degeneracy is a good way to serve the interests of the wealth extractive classes, war profits come into play too. The world is filled with fake humanitarianists, fake christians, and so-called social justice warriors, eager to impose a new type of bolshevism on the unsuspecting public.
It was embarrassing to hear 2 people whom I have listened to with respect , get it so wrong about the situation in my country, Italy. As you now know, Salvini in a delirious state collapsed the government which has more than 50% of the voter’s support and Guiseppe Conte, our Prime Minister is very popular and considered by many to be the best PM we have had in many years. In these 17 months much has been done for the good of the people of Italy by the 5 Star Movement, Salvini has spent most of his time promoting… Read more »
Conte’s tax policy is crap. Furthermore, he has no economic policy. More neoliberal tweaking and nothing more. I don’t believe in Salvini a bit, nor in his allies or opponents. A bunch of bought and paid for scum, simulating dissent and democracy.
I wonder how much money the Open Arms NGO has made, from trafficking so many Africans, under the guise of Syrian refugees?