Paris--29 August 1995-- The French Govt has just issued an
injunction (1) to stop the Greenpeace boat Beluga from leading a
European protest flotilla up the Seine in Paris on Friday.
This afternoon, it was confirmed that the French Government put
pressure on the Touring Club of France, to refuse the Beluga
right of berth under the Pont D'Iena. The Touring Club had
previously given permission but today were forced to change.
The French authorities are even threatening to place their own
boats along the quays of the Seine to stop any attempt at
berthing for any of the Boats against the Bomb."
The French Government has also banned a human chain of
protestors and VIPs from throughout Europe, organised to take
the more three million signatures against French testing,
collected by
Greenpeace worldwide, to the Elysee Palace from the Beluga at
the Pont D'Iena. The authorities have cited "disturbance of
the public order" as the reason for this ban.
"By stopping the arrival of the European flotilla Against
Testing in Paris and the stopping of the petitions, the
representative of the French people, President Chirac, ridicules
the right to freedom of expression of the millions of citizens
who want to make a peaceful protest against the resumption of
nuclear testing" declared Penelope Komites, Executive Director
of Greenpeace France.
"France's head of State has demonstrated to us yet again how
distant he seems to be to the democratic values and freedom of
expression. Recent opinion polls show that the majority of
French people have declared themselves to be against the
resumption of French nuclear testing," said Komites.
"Greenpeace has no intention however of giving in to
intimidations and blackmail," she added.
"Does President Chirac wish to impose a 12-mile exclusion zone
around Paris as well as Moruroa?"
(1) the order is similar in legal terms to an injunction.
Further information:
Greenpeace France 33 1 47 70 46 89
Cindy Baxter Greenpeace Communications 44 171 359 6735.
JACQUES CHIRAC IGNORES 3 MILLION SIGNATURES AGAINST FRENCH
TESTING: INJUNCTION AGAINST GREENPEACE PROTEST SHIP