SHARE
COPY LINK

IMMIGRATION

Pianist James Rhodes just trolled Vox leader in the most brilliant way

Outspoken British pianist James Rhodes, a resident of Madrid, has waded into the political row over the plight of migrants trapped on board the Open Arms rescue ship.

Pianist James Rhodes just trolled Vox leader in the most brilliant way
James Rhodes (left) has trolled VOX leader Santiago Abascal. Photos: Jose Gutierrez/Jamesrhodes.tv and AFP

Outraged at sentiments expressed by Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain's far-right party Vox, over the migrants and the Spanish charitable organisation that can to their aid, the British composer found a brilliant way to troll him.

The 44-year-old musician donated €1,000 to the NGO in the name of the far right leader then twitted the notification with the message: “I hope this generous gesture inspires many of his followers.”

Rhodes was responding to a tweet by Abascal in which he slammed the Spanish rescuers: “Open Arms is not an NGO, it is an instrument of the extreme left…immigrants are their political merchandise. Nothing else.”  

It's not the first time he has taken on Vox in this way. Earlier this month he made a similar donation, also to Open Arms, in the name of Isabel Pérez Moniño, a local councillor for Vox in the Madrid satellite town of Fuenlabrada after her public comments against helping migrants.

The Londoner, who has made his home in Madrid, has endeared himself to Spaniards after publishing a “love letter” to the people of Spain in El Pais, extolling of the virtues of his new home.

He regularly appears on Spanish chat shows and has met with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to campaign to end the statute of limitations on sex crimes against children. 

Rhodes wrote about the horrific sexual abuse he suffered as a child in his book Instrumental.

READ MORE: 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

IMMIGRATION

France ‘will not welcome migrants’ from Lampedusa: interior minister

France "will not welcome migrants" from the island, Gérald Darmanin has insisted

France 'will not welcome migrants' from Lampedusa: interior minister

France will not welcome any migrants coming from Italy’s Lampedusa, interior minister Gérald Darmanin has said after the Mediterranean island saw record numbers of arrivals.

Some 8,500 people arrived on Lampedusa on 199 boats between Monday and Wednesday last week, according to the UN’s International Organisation for
Migration, prompting European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to travel there Sunday to announce an emergency action plan.

According to Darmanin, Paris told Italy it was “ready to help them return people to countries with which we have good diplomatic relations”, giving the
example of Ivory Coast and Senegal.

But France “will not welcome migrants” from the island, he said, speaking on French television on Tuesday evening.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on Italy’s EU partners to share more of the responsibility.

The recent arrivals on Lampedusa equal more than the whole population of the tiny Italian island.

The mass movement has stoked the immigration debate in France, where political parties in the country’s hung parliament are wrangling over a draft law governing new arrivals.

France is expected to face a call from Pope Francis for greater tolerance towards migrants later this week during a high-profile visit to Mediterranean city Marseille, where the pontiff will meet President Emmanuel Macron and celebrate mass before tens of thousands in a stadium.

SHOW COMMENTS