Paris, 28 October 1995--In the wake of the third French nuclear
test in the South Pacific, Greenpeace activists today finally
managed to deliver its 7 million signatures against nuclear
testing to Jacques Chirac this morning.
The activists arrived at the Louvre Post Office this morning,
with the petitions, put up for special delivery to President
Chirac's office.
The signatures were packed in about a million envelopes, weighing
about 2.5 tonnes. The operation was free of charge for Greenpeace
because it is a French constitutional right to send mail to the
president for free. As the police looked on, the 1000 packages
were handed over to the post office. There were no arrests
because the Greenpeace protest relied on the French constitution.
Greenpeace France has received the signatures from all over the
world. From Japan to Colombia, citizens of 30 countries have made
their opposition to nuclear tests clear. "Is President Chirac
going to be deaf to millions of protests again", askes Penelope
Komites, director of Greenpeace France. "He has just let off
another environmental nightmare in the South Pacific -- again to
international protest. These 7 million people have a right to
be heard."
Greenpeace awaits the confirmation that the petitions have
reached Chirac -- under the same constitutional obligation, the
French Postal Service is obliged to certify to the sender that
their letter has been received by the President.
This was the third attempt by Greenpeace to deliver the 7 million
petitions to the Elysee Palace. The first, with a "European
Peace Flotilla", was outlawed by police. The police stopped 29
boats in the Seine who were intending to deliver the petitions.
The second attempt was on the same day when police ruled that a
human chain to carry the petitions to the Elysee Palace was a
"public disturbance".
For further information:
Laurence Mermet, Paris office (1) 47 70 46 89
SPECIAL MAIL DELIVERED AT CHIRAC'S OFFICE: 7 MILLION SIGNATURES
AGAINST NUCLEAR TESTS
Fransce Verdeuzeldonk, At Louvre Postoffice +31 6 531 06 597
Countries involved are:
Germany, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada,
Colombia, Denmark, United States, Spain, Finland, United
Kingdom, Greece, Guatamala, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Israel,
Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands,
Russia, Sweden, Switserland, Czechoslavakia, Tunisia and Turkey.