Hollywood star Gere visits stranded migrants on Open Arms ship

 

U.S. actor Richard Gere gestures surrounded by rescued migrants aboard Open Arms rescue boat at Mediterranean sea, in this screen grab taken from a video, August 9, 2019. Open Arms/Reuters TV via REUTERS

 

MADRID (Reuters) - American actor Richard Gere on Friday visited 121 migrants stranded for the past week on a rescue ship in the Mediterranean, as the European Union's executive urged member countries to show solidarity in finding a solution.

 

Arriving on a boat outfitted with a banner reading "You are not alone," the 69-year-old Hollywood star brought water and other supplies to the ship Open Arms, speaking to several migrants about their experience of fleeing war-torn Libya.

 

"The most important thing for these people here is to be able to get to a free port, to get off the boat, to get on land and start a new life," Gere said in a video posted online. "Please support us here on Open Arms and help these people, our brothers and sisters."

 

The migrants, including 32 minors, were rescued last Thursday by the Barcelona-based charity and the ship is now floating in international waters near the Italian island of Lampedusa. The fate of the migrants has been in limbo since Italy and Malta rejected requests to disembark them.

 

Italian authorities in particular have been at odds with humanitarian groups that pick up migrants off the coast of Libya with the aim of bringing them to Italy, preventing them from docking until other EU countries agree to take in most of them.

 

Earlier this week European Parliament speaker David Sassoli urged the European Commission to help the migrants, noting that if Europe is incapable of offering them protection, "it will mean that it has lost its soul, as well as its heart".

 

On Friday EU Commission spokeswoman Annika Breidthardt said it had not initiated coordination on the issue as there had been no request to do so from any EU member state.

 

"We have, however, independently of the letter received from the president of the European Parliament, reached out to member states asking them to show solidarity, and to contribute to finding a solution for the persons onboard," she said.

 

(Reporting by Alexandra Regida and Francesco Guarascio and Andrés González; Writing by Ashifa Kassam; Editing by Axel Bugge and Mark Heinrich)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-10

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On topic seen this morning:

 

Why doesn't Gere buy a island and support the migrants there if he wants to be so helpful or is he just looking for a photo op. Italy is suffering under the weight of all the migrants delivered there. Time for them to take a stand against the influx.

Easy for these celebrities sitting in their ivory towers to push for a landing somewhere in Europe when it doesn't affect them in the slightest. How about they offer some of the bedrooms in their multi-million dollar homes to so-called refugees? You'd watch them back pedal at a million miles an hour.

23 minutes ago, giddyup said:

How about they offer some of the bedrooms in their multi-million dollar homes to so-called refugees? You'd watch them back pedal at a million miles an hour.

So true,virtue signalling without responsibility.

Let's hope he gets stranded onboard.....

What's his angle?

 

 

 

 

Does not matter if your rich or poor, you will be criticised for helping people in need. What a Fked up world we are living in. 

Perhaps someone with better eyes than me can point out the women, children and old men and women on this dinghy.

What I see is more than 50 able bodied men all potential illegal immigrants.

12 minutes ago, Boatfreak said:

Does not matter if your rich or poor, you will be criticised for helping people in need. What a Fked up world we are living in. 

but you have to wonder why he's not on the streets of san francisco or LA helping the homeless there?

These boatloads of africans are on their way to europe to collect social security (i dont blame them for that)...if europe was serious about stopping this invasion all they would need to do is stop paying.

31 minutes ago, Boatfreak said:

Does not matter if your rich or poor, you will be criticised for helping people in need. What a Fked up world we are living in. 

Is he really helping, or is it just a photo op?

29 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Perhaps someone with better eyes than me can point out the women, children and old men and women on this dinghy.

What I see is more than 50 able bodied men all potential illegal immigrants.

all with smart phones,cashed up and a hard on.

 

52 minutes ago, Boatfreak said:

Does not matter if your rich or poor, you will be criticised for helping people in need. What a Fked up world we are living in. 

just what kind of help do these men actually need? they all look well-fed and healthy. 

6 minutes ago, irwinfc said:

just what kind of help do these men actually need? they all look well-fed and healthy. 

they need the freebies bro!

From the BBC news today.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49309196

 

The Italian government needed to stop "demonising people", the actor said.

Mr Gere boarded the vessel on Friday, which has been blocked from entering Italian waters.

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini hit back, saying Mr Gere should take the 160 migrants to Hollywood.

 

"We have our problems with refugees coming from Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico... It's very similar to what you are going through here," he said, accusing politicians in both Italy and the US of demonising migrants.

"This has to stop everywhere on this planet now. And it will stop if we say stop," he added.

 

Somehow Mr Gere, simply saying stop will not make it stop, unless you are wearing Dorothy's magic ruby slippers.

Perhaps poor Richard can sell a few more assets or at least open them up for refugees and migrants to shelter/occupy.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/556264991449785953/?lp=true

 

They all talk the talk but the walk..............................?

 

I guess his hand signal means "Yuck fou"

15 hours ago, evadgib said:

On topic seen this morning:

 

 

Did this multi-millionaire entertainer tell them that being an illegal economic migrant is dangerous, illegal and makes them a criminal?

 

No he was too busy showing what a wonderful caring human being he is before he returns to one of his palaces with private security on his private plane.

 

Another has been entertainer trying to be relevant. Katie is right!

Illegal economic immigrants not migrants, should be given zero help or 'compassion'.

Yeah, yeah, Mr. Gere. But if they all came to live in you garden would you be so approving ? Not knowing who they are with destroyed documents or are they are criminals or rapists or even pedos ? These 'famous' people need to get reality checks not do the promotional humanitarian rounds

I think he is trying to do something to help refugees, not big note himself.

I don't see any positive suggestions on this thread.

 

8 hours ago, giddyup said:

Easy for these celebrities sitting in their ivory towers to push for a landing somewhere in Europe when it doesn't affect them in the slightest. How about they offer some of the bedrooms in their multi-million dollar homes to so-called refugees? You'd watch them back pedal at a million miles an hour.

How about they offer some of the bedrooms in their multi-million dollar homes to so-called refugees?

 

and that happens if you are too kind and trustful.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2018/11/refugee-suspected-of-murdering-german-millionaire-who-helped-him-and-gave-him-a-home/

 

1 hour ago, aussie11950 said:

I think he is trying to do something to help refugees, not big note himself.

I don't see any positive suggestions on this thread.

 

Perhaps like other so called "celebrities" he is doing it as an ego trip.

 

As for no positive suggestions I would suggest that the majority of the migrants are relatively fit and healthy men who have left/abandoned their families back in their home countries to try to get a better life.

 

Whilst this is a good idea for them

1) It leaves their country with a shortage of manpower (literally),

2) Where did the money come from to pay for their passage, cos it ain't cheap,

3) Why should the EU in general, Italy in particular and the rest of the western countries have to accept them.

4) As many of them are Moslem why don't they head for a Moslem country such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Moslem countries in general, most of whom are rich countries with plenty of space, the right religion and foods in common.

5) The exception to that would be both Jordan and Lebanon who have both taken more than their fair share of "refugees".

On ‎8‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 2:11 AM, evadgib said:

On topic seen this morning:

 

The place these men escaped was SO TERRIFYING they left their women & children behind

 

Oh the irony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A bunch of <deleted> desert their wives and children- need I say more?

The guy in the photo looks pretty terrifying himself.

Has Gere made a good movie in the last decade?

Anyway, who decided that he is a "Star", and why does that make him important enough to be listened to when none of us common people are?

He should stick to attacking China over Tibet.

13 hours ago, aussie11950 said:

I think he is trying to do something to help refugees, not big note himself.

I don't see any positive suggestions on this thread.

 

There are no positive suggestions to make, IMO, save attempting to reduce the birth rate in countries with no economy to support them all. It's not like there is a fixed number of them wanting to move from the <deleted> country they live in to a rich western country, and every migrant that reaches Europe etc and gets a job, money etc encourages more to make the journey. How many millions and millions and millions of migrants are western countries supposed to take?