Press release - October 3, 2004
Eugene Riguidel, one of France's most famous sailors and a member of the Atlantic Nuclear Free Flotilla, has been arrested for sailing his boat into the military zone of Cherbourg harbour today. Riguidel was detained while he was peacefully protesting the imminent arrival of 140 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium to France.
Greenpeace and members of the Flotilla protest outside the Arsenal of Cherbourg where Eugene Riguidel, one of France's most famous sailors and a member of the Atlantic Nuclear Free Flotilla with John Castle of Guernsey, a long time activist and Greenpeace mariner, and Pernilla Svenberg from Greenpeace International are being held overnight.
In addition, John Castle of Guernsey, a long time activist and
Greenpeace mariner, and Pernilla Svenberg from Greenpeace
International were also arrested as they were on board of
Riguidel's boat.
The protest was peaceful and non-violent but commandos in fast
inflatable boats converged upon the small craft, cut its sails
down, commandeered the vessel and towed it into the military base.
Members of the Flotilla and Greenpeace activists have since gone to
the military base to call for the release of the three captives.
Riguidel won the Whitbread Round the yachting world race in
1980.
"The Atlantic Flotilla opposes the commercial trafficking of
nuclear material around the world to suit the purposes and profits
of a few nations like the4US or France that profess
anti-proliferation policies but do not follow them. This plutonium
should never have left the U.S. but instead been treated as nuclear
waste", said Philippe Marechal from the Atlantic Flotilla.
During last week's debate, both President Bush and presidential
candidate John Kerry agreed that nuclear proliferation is the top
threat to U.S. security and that stopping terrorists from obtaining
nuclear material is one of the centrepieces of a strategy to make
the country safer. This shipment, travelling more than 6,000km
across the Atlantic, comes in stark contrast to Bush's boast that
the Proliferation Security Initiative, involving 60 countries, is
disrupting the shipments of materials for weapons of mass
destruction.
In contrast to recent statements made by the U.S. Government and
British Nuclear Fuels Company (BNFL), which operates the Pacific
Pintail and Pacific Teal, this is not a one-off shipment of
plutonium. BNFL currently has over 100 tons of plutonium at its
Sellafield nuclear complex in the UK. It plans to ship 50 tons to
Europe and Japan over the next 10-20 years. Areva, the French state
nuclear company that will manufacture the US plutonium into
experimental nuclear fuel, has between 70-80 tons of plutonium
sitting at la Hague in Normandy. All of which it plans to transport
to clients in Europe and Japan within 10-15 years.
"Greenpeace wants and immediate end to plutonium production and
separation and believes current stocks both civil and military
should be treated as nuclear waste not shipped around the world as
reactor fuel. Plutonium should be mixed with radioactive waste,
solidified or vitrified, and stored. This approach would be
cheaper, faster, safer, and more secure, " said Shaun Burnie of
Greenpeace International in Cherbourg.
Notes: For background information see:http://www.stop-plutonium.org http://www.nuclearfreeflotilla.org/flotilla.htm