The Louise Michel is the humanitarian rescue ship saving lives in the Mediterranean. Financed by the artist Banksy, it has found a safe port in Sicily.
Migration
Human and animal exploitation. Circuses accused of facilitating illegal immigration
L’operazione “Golden Circus” ha portato all’arresto di oltre 40 impresari circensi in tutta Italia, accusati di favoreggiamento dell’immigrazione clandestina.
The reason why cruel, useless, anachronistic activities, as circuses, are still carried out in 2015 is a mystery. Among the numerous and sophisticated forms humans have developed to exploit and oppress animals, their use for our entertainment is one of the worst. Wild creatures are forced to perform in shows that harass their nature, through violence and coercion. Until they become a pale version of what they actually were.
According to numerous theories, cruelty against animals, sometimes considered to be a “normal” social and cultural factor, can be attributed to cruelty against humans.
A confirmation comes from the “Golden Circus” investigation, conducted by the Foreign Crime division of the flying squad of Palermo, Italy, which found an international crime organisation involving many circus companies, guilty of exploitating irregular immigration.
Through fake hiring of foreign personnel, mainly from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, hundreds of migrants have been illegally brought to Italy, fuelling an illegal turnover worth 7 million euros.
Such human trafficking activities involve many circus managers, which were accustomed to animal trafficking already. Palermo’s prosecutor, Francesco Lo Voi, managed to arrest 40 people, including the managers of 18 circuses, which had earned 2,000 to 3,000 euros each clandestine hired.
Among them, well-known people such as Lino Orfei and Alvaro Bizzarro, owners of the circuses of the same name, and Darvin Cristiani, owner of the Circo Praga. Other circuses involved are Coliseum Sandra Orfei, Città di Roma, Smart Shane, Kumar, Vienna Roller, Caroli, Wigliams Brother, Jonathan, Apollo, De Blais, Meraviglioso, Aris Martini, Martini Cirque D’Europe, acquatico Denji show and Acquatico splash.
According to police forces, migrants paid up to 15,000 euros to obtain a fake authorisation to work in circuses, signed by the region of Sicily. “It is an unprecedented investigation shedding new light on a reality that is not new to illegality and lack of transparency,” reads a report of LAV.
There’s more. Many circuses receive state funds. Therefore, the only way to oppose this industry, which indiscriminately exploits humans and animals, is to boycott circuses, because it’s anything but funny seeing a creature suffering.
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