Short thread on events of 7 March 1991, when the 90,000 people of Brindisi woke up to find 25,000 Albanians roaming the streets of their town. For perspective, that's roughly equivalent to 25k people suddenly landing in Hastings (h/t @fcbaribrit for reminding me of this episode)>

At 10 a.m. on Thursday 7 March 1991, the cargo ship 'Lirja' enters the port of Brindisi carrying 5,000 Albanians fleeing their homeland. They'd taken over the ship in the port of Durrës & forced the crew to sail to Italy. At noon, another ship 'Tirana' arrives carrying 6,000 >> 2

In the afternoon, yet another ship, 'Apollonia', along with several fishing boats. Then, in the evening, the final ship, 'Legend'. Italian Coast Guard ships offshore decide not to intervene & block the vessels as they're all in precarious condition and dangerously overloaded >> 3

Any intervention to push back the ships could result in them capsizing & thousands of people drowning, so they are let through. As they arrive in the port, people make the sign of victory & shout "Italia, Italia!" >> 4

As soon as the ships dock, desperate people shin down the mooring ropes or jump into the water to swim ashore. The dockside is packed with dirty, hungry, shivering men, women & children. It is very cold & a light rain is falling >> 5

The Italian state is totally unprepared for this emergency & local authorities are left to cope alone. Red Cross volunteers hand out food parcels & plastic sheeting to shelter from the rain but supplies are limited & they are swamped. Many people are suffering from dysentery >> 6

During the night pressure grows among the refugees to get out of the overcrowded dock and, once they start to push their way out or climb the fences, the Police & Carabinieri on duty sensibly do nothing to stop them but regulate the flow of people to avoid a stampede >> 7

By daybreak the city of Brindisi has at least 25,000 Albanian refugees wandering its streets. The Mayor of the city, Giuseppe Marchionna (photo), realises that the situation could get out of hand. If desperate hungry people break into a food shop, violence could ensue >> 8

Marchionna knows his people well and so he quickly records a message to be broadcast on all local TV & radio stations. It is sent out at 8 a.m. & then every 15 minutes for the rest of the day. The message is simple, "They are just hungry and cold, help them." >> 9

The first signs that his message is working come in mid-morning as people throw bags full of food to the refugees from their balconies. Gradually, after this timid start, local people begin to open up to the Albanian refugees >> 10

People give them money to call their families & reassure them and to buy food. They give them clothes to replace the dirty rags they are wearing. They let them use their showers & phones and make them meals. People with spare rooms take in women & children >> 11

Things begin to get more organised, even though the central government sends no help until 12 March. Whole buildings organise canteens in their basements or garages, 36 schools are requisitioned to house refugees, more & more people open up their houses to take them in >> 12

Finally, after 3 weeks, the government sends in the army, most of the refugees are transferred to Palermo, Capua & Udine. A call centre is set up and receives hundreds of calls from all over Italy offering to house refugees >> 13

Most of them made their lives in Italy & still live here. Others made their fortune & returned home once their country was free. They certainly all recall the solidarity of Brindisi, thanks to those simple words of humanity, "they are just hungry & cold, help them."//14