The image captured the raw humanity of the moment: a Red Cross volunteer tenderly consoling a Senegalese man moments after he stepped foot in Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta. Hours after the footage went viral, however, Luna Reyes set her social media accounts to private after she was targeted by a torrent of abuse from supporters of Spain’s far-right Vox party and others incensed by the unprecedented arrival of 8,000 migrants in Ceuta. As news spread of the abuse, the internet began fighting back. Messages hailing the hug soon began pouring in, drowning out the insults and sending the hashtag #GraciasLuna trending in Spain. The secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Jagan Chapagain, also weighed in. “Luna represents our very best,” he wrote. “#Gracias Luna, for shining a light. Gracias Luna for showing the world what humanity looks like.”
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN