MORUROA, 5.20pm BST, 1 September, 1995--As commandos storm the
Rainbow Warrior, its captain Jon Castle is in the ship's crows
nest and two Greenpeace divers are under the test monitoring
platform in Moruroa lagoon.
The Greenpeace helicopter pilot hovering above the scene has
confirmed the divers' presence. Both divers were dropped into
the lagoon by at least two inflatables which had raced into the
Moruroa Lagoon as commandos boarded the Rainbow Warrior.
Greenpeace campaigner Xavier Pastor, aboard the MV Greenpeace
which is monitoring the events outside the 12-mile limit, has
told the French navy frigate VENDEMAIRE that the divers are
beneath the platform.
"If France detonates its bomb now it endangers global efforts to
ban nuclear weapons tests and risks the lives of our peaceful
protestors," said Pastor. "We appeal to President Chirac to
listen to commonsense and the overwhelming opposition by people
worldwide, over 150 governments and a majority of French people
and end this nuclear nightmare now."
The Rainbow Warrior has stopped within the 12-mile exclusion
zone. Nineteen commandos have boarded the vessel and have used
welding gear to cut their way into the bridge.
For more information, contact:
Stephanie Mills or Pierre-Emmanauel Neurohr on board the SV
Rainbow Warrior: +872 1300312; Note to Editor:
Greenpeace Executive Director Steve D'Esposito has issued a plea
for all protests taking place in the event of French testing to
be peaceful. For a copy of the statement, please contact the
numbers above.
GREENPEACE DIVERS UNDER TEST MONITORING PLATFORM
TO STOP FRENCH NUCLEAR TEST
Xavier Pastor or Jean-Luc Thierry
on board the MV Greenpeace: +872 1300310;
Thomas Schultz,
Greenpeace International, Tahiti: +689 770 613;
reenpeace
Communications: +44 171 833 0600