[learc83]

This was a quote from Lauren Southern.

"If the politicians won't stop the boats, we'll stop the boats… and we'll be back with more boats..."

She was arrested by the Italian Coastguard for attempting to block a boat, she wasn't just reporting that someone else was doing it. She was clearly participating.

[bluthru]

So you can't inhibit human trafficking? Was she charged with anything?

[learc83]

Please read this summary of the conversation and tell me how your comment follows.

paulgb: Lauren Southern was attempting to block ships.

bluthru: No, she was just reporting on an attempt to block ships.

learc83: No, she participated. Here's a quote from her saying she participated.

bluthru: You can't inhibit human trafficking?

[bluthru]

I apologize, I wasn't aware of that quote by her until you posted it, as I only watched her explanation. She definitely steps out of the lines of "reporter" when she said that.

However, my question still stands: what law or policy did Lauren break?

[learc83]

Using her boat to physically block a ship from leaving the harbor and firing flares in that direction. That is definitely illegal.

The ship had no cargo at the time, but even if it was carrying tons of heroin and literal slaves, trying to block a large ship at night with a small boat is dangerous vigelantee behavior at best.

And it's most definitely illegal. Call the coast guard if you think something illegal is going on. The minute you start forcing ships to maneuver around you at night, your risking the lives on that ship and any ships they might hit trying to avoid you.

The rediculous part is that she was there to supposedly stop "human trafficking", but her and her boatmates were chanting "no illegal immigration" the entire time.

No one except these far right groups think that NGOs are working with smugglers to get people into Europe. And the far right groups don't care about it either as evidenced by what they were chanting and what they say on their website. They've just latched onto something they think they can use to justify their anti illegal immigrant stance.

There's no evidence of it. It's like an Italian renting a car and pulling out in front of trucks headed into the US because she says she thinks they might underage prostitutes in them.

It's not your job to enforce a foreign country's immigration policies, and it's definitely illegal to try to do it by endangering yourself and the crew of another ship.

The even more rediculous part is that the group she was working with has actually been accused of human trafficking after several of the crew of their ship requested asylum and said they paid to access the boat.