Over the weekend, the Italian Navy picked up nearly 4,000 migrants trying to reach Italian shores from North Africa.
The Italian Navy uses helicopters, patrol boats and frigates in its Mare Nostrum operation, which was launched last October after 360 migrants drowned off the coasts of Sicily, and is reported to cost $12.5 million per month.
The purpose of the operation is to rescue would-be refugees while arresting human traffickers.
Refugees travelling to Italy by boat continue to increase. The refugees come from Syria, Iraq and the Middle East, in addition to North African nations, and are often fleeing conflict areas.
In 2014, so far nearly 110,000 would-be refugees have been rescued, according to the UN’s refugee agency, but nearly 2,000 migrants have died making the journey.
Many of the human traffickers’ boats are launched from Libya, where an ongoing civil war continues to rage between Islamist forces and their opponents.
Mare Nostrum is being considered for expansion to an international level.
In recent weeks, Russians have been attempting to demonstrate against the Russian war in Ukraine–an action that has been difficult because the Russian government has recently passed laws limiting free assembly in Russia. In Moscow Sunday night, Russian protesters attempted to demonstrate against Russia’s undeclared war and were arrested by Russian police.
The protesters attempted to hold a candlelight vigil composed of 2,249 candles–equivalent to the number of civilians already reported killed in Eastern Ukraine, but were prevented from doing so by Russian police.
“Respected citizens! Extinguish the candles. This is forbidden in a public place!” police announced before extinguishing the candles.
Protesters questioned the law prohibiting candles in a public place, and were arrested by police.
Dmitry Kartsev, an employee of Gazeta.ru and a participant in the aborted vigil, was arrested after saying, “I have come to remember those who have died on both sides of the conflict taking place in Ukraine.”
“I’m not an activist at all. I’m a person who is bitter, that people died–died due to stupidity,” said another participant. “People died who don’t even know the truth about what is happening. I have a friend who went to Donbass as a volunteer. And died. That’s it, the man is gone.”
The number of 2,249 was reported by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights last week. A later number, tallied by UNOHCHR and reported by Reuters, was 2,593, excluding Malaysia Airlines MH17 victims.
“People, what’s wrong with you? This is not your war, and it’s your children who will die.”
Another participant, who also took part in an extension of the demonstration in another, less public locale, said of the further action, which was seen by very few, “That was useless, even laughable. “But something had to be done. You don’t want to lose the remnants of your human face.”
Also over the weekend, in several Russian cities Russians protested against Putin and the denial of their constitutional rights to assembly, and were arrested.
A new phenomenon also occurred with regards to the protests. Lone protesters have begun protesting in the streets. The protesters are proceeding on the presumption that, unlike group protests, single protesters do not require permts for demonstration. However, five people were arrested by Russian police for solitary protests, including composer Aleksandr Manotskov.
The Italian Navy uses helicopters, patrol boats and frigates in its Mare Nostrum operation, which was launched last October after 360 migrants drowned off the coasts of Sicily, and is reported to cost $12.5 million per month.
Refugees travelling to Italy by boat continue to increase. The refugees come from Syria, Iraq and the Middle East, in addition to North African nations, and are often fleeing conflict areas.
