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Greenpeace continues campaigning for a nuclear free future on 15th anniversary of Rainbow Warrior bombing


July 10 2000 - Auckland, New Zealand
Fifteen years since the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior at Marsden Wharf in Auckland Harbour, Greenpeace continues to campaign for a nuclear-free future around the globe.

On July 10 1985, the Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour whilst preparing to set sail to the Pacific, to protest against French nuclear testing. Today, Greenpeace is actively engaged in a nonviolent global campaign to stop Star Wars, the latest version in a long series of misguided Pentagon efforts to counter incoming missiles headed for US territory. The anti-nuclear campaigning organisation is calling for an end to Star Wars because it will start a new arms race.

"The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, which took the life of Fernando Pereira fifteen years ago today, did nothing to halt our efforts to create a nuclear free future. Instead, it galvanised a whole new generation to commit to work for a nuclear free world" said Tricia Allen, Campaign Director for Greenpeace in New Zealand.

"Just this weekend, Greenpeace's ship the Arctic Sunrise - with two New Zealanders on board - was within the exclusion zone as the US launched its Star Wars test missile from Vandenberg Air Force base, California. At the same time, two Greenpeace campaigners were arrested on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands - the location from which another missile was launched to intercept the one fired from Vendenberg - also calling for an end to this nuclear lunacy. Another seven more Greenpeace activists were arrested inside Vandenberg airbase during this nonviolent protest. We will continue our campaigns until all preparations for nuclear war worldwide come to an end" said Tricia Allen.

"The failure of the US Star Wars test on the weekend only emphasises the huge failure of judgement the US is making in developing this system. The only successful launch this weekend was a renewed commitment to a nuclear free future and an end to Star Wars" said Bunny McDiarmid, long time anti-nuclear campaigner with Greenpeace International.

Greenpeace in New Zealand today is also working to end environmental destruction. Current campaigns are working to :

move society towards a renewable energy revolution, and away from our current over-reliance on climate changing fossil fuels

bring about a shift to sustainable organic agriculture, instead of industrial agriculture which relies on genetic engineering, chemicals and pesticides

eliminate all persistent organic pollutants from our environment, such as dioxins, which pollute the Tarawera river as a result of unclean production methods at Tasman pulp and paper mill

create a global whale sanctuary, and end pirate fishing

Greenpeace relies on public support to keep up its work to bring about a safe, clean, nuclear free future.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Tricia Allen on
+64 9 630 6317 or +64 21 213 5603, or Bunny McDiarmid on +31 6 21296913.

See www.stopstarwars.org for further information about the recent and ongoing global Stop Star Wars campaign. Please visit { HYPERLINK http://www.greenpeace.org }www.greenpeace.org for other background information about current Greenpeace campaigns.

To show your support for Greenpeace, call 0800 223343 to become a supporter.

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