FALCON POWERS – The memorial boat for migrants, which was inaugurated on April 12th last year in Crotone (southern Italy), was vandalized through arson by unknown perpetrators in the early hours of May 20th, an act that has been condemned and described as a “terroristic act”.
Unknown vandals set fire to “San Nicola”, a memorial boat placed in the Pythagorean Garden in Crotone in the Calabria region, which was created by artist Massimo Sirelli, who transformed the wreckage of the boat into an artistic work symbolizing hospitality towards migrants and life. The surveillance cameras have been out of order for years.
It is clear that this was a terroristic act connected to a series of fires and acts of vandalism that have occurred in the Pythagorean Garden in recent weeks, including the burning of benches and the destruction of planted tree areas.
It appears the vandals set fire to a trash basket filled with waste, which they placed under the boat’s structure as a means of arson and destruction. The perpetrators likely entered the site easily through one of the many openings in the perimeter fence of the green area.
Some residents of the area noticed the fire and raised the alarm, until the fire brigade from the Crotone regional command arrived at the scene. The firefighters had to cut the chain that kept the entrance gate closed, as acts of vandalism had become more frequent.
In addition, the Pythagorean Garden lacks a surveillance system, as the security cameras have been out of order for years.
The memorial boat was inaugurated on April 12th last year and is composed of the wreckage of a boat that carried 12 migrants who reached Crotone in March 2020.
