Marelle Pereira daughter of Fernando Pereira is comforted by Martini Goteji original crew member of the Rainbow Warrior at the 20th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in Matauri Bay.
On July 10, 1985, two explosions on the Warrior rocked Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, killing photographer Fernando Pereira. They were planted by the French Government, in an attempt to stifle Greenpeace's protests against the French nuclear testing programme in the Pacific. Twenty years later, in Matauri Bay, original skipper Pete Willcox dived down 25 metres to the wreck and placed a memorial sculpture on the bridge, as around 100 people gathered on the boat cast flowers and greenery on the water. The Rainbow Warrior, carrying the banner message "NZ: proud to be nuclear free," was joined by several other vessels in the bay. Crew member and campaigner in 1985, Steve Sawyer, whose birthday was being celebrated on the night of the bombing, urged world leaders to stop wasting vast amounts of money and intelligence on more sophisticated nuclear weapons and to instead engage in urgent action to promote peace, combat climate change and preserve the world's forests and oceans. "Today we are facing a bigger nuclear threat as an ever increasing number of states continue their development of nuclear weapons. No bomb will stop conflict - whether it be in the arsenals of the nuclear weapons states, on the Rainbow Warrior, on buses and tube stations in London nor on the streets of Baghdad." "We also face a global crisis as serious and devastating as any nuclear threat: climate change. We only have a decade or two to begin in earnest the transformation of our global energy system, or heat waves, droughts, floods, rising sea-levels and widespread famine and disease will overwhelm us just as surely as the mushroom cloud," said Sawyer. Greenpeace France disarmament campaigner Xavier Renou called on his Government to get rid of its nuclear weapons. "France is currently using the data gathered from nuclear tests in Moruroa during the 80's and 90's to upgrade its nuclear weapons systems, flying in the face of its internationalcommitments to disarm. Hypocrisy is the real driver of nuclear proliferation," he said. Senator Abacca Anjan-Maddison of Rongelap Atoll - which was contaminated by the US nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll in 1953 - read a message of solidarity from her Government, both for Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior, and for the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,60 years later. The last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior moved her people from Rongelap. "Our Government honours the survivors and descendents of the people of these two cities and we share the sorrow and loss of the Rainbow Warrior after shetransported our community to Majeto in 1985," she said. Greenpeace New Zealand executive director Margaret Crozier noted that 20 years later New Zealanders remained firm in their commitment to being nuclear free - the first country in the world to do so.The New Zealand commemorations will be the first of many around the world today:- In Paris, 500 activists from 14 countries will come together to create a rainbow symbol of hope and peace. - In Sydney, Greenpeace activists will hold a lantern ceremony at Maroubra beach.- At 11.48 pm, at the time the first bomb went off, there will be a two minute silence at the Rainbow Warrior Tribute Concert (2) in Auckland, in Sydney and in Paris, where a bell will toll - in remembrance of Fernando Pereira, the London victims of the bombings on Friday, and for all victims of bombs. - New Zealand Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Helen Clark, will speak at a Greenpeace reception in Auckland this evening (3), before the concert. - Across the Pacific, church services are being held this morning.In Canada Toronto and Vancouver, two of the three largest cities in Canada, have just declared July 10, 2005 to be 'Rainbow Warrior Day'. As Bruce Cox, Executive Director of Greenpeace Canada, said on the occasion of the Toronto proclamation: "The City of Toronto has a proud history of promoting world peace and rejecting nuclear arms. In proclaiming today 'Rainbow Warrior Day', Mayor David Miller and the people of Toronto honour the work that Greenpeace continues to do around the globe and honour the life of Fernando Pereira who died so tragically during the bombing." Rainbow Warrior weblog: http://www.rainbow-warrior.org.nz
Other contacts: Suzette Jackson (media) ++64 21 577 556Steve Sawyer ++31 653 504 714Xavier Renou, Greenpeace france ++64 21 0371 648Cindy Baxter campaign manager ++ 64 21 772 661
VVPR info: Photos: John Novis +31 653 819 121video available through Michelle Thomas +61 404 096 556Download images directly fromImages gallery http://www.greenpeace.gen.nz/gallery/pressUsername: mediaPassword: download
Notes: (1) Other speakers and special guests on the day included Fernando Pereira's daughter Marelle, members of the original crew: Martini Gotje, Henk Haazen,Bunny McDiarmid, Hanne Sorenson; local Maori leaders, Greenpeace New Zealand'sMargaret Crozier, Anne Summers, chair of the Greenpeace International Board,and members of the original police investigation team.(2) The Rainbow Warrior Tribute Concert featuring the John Butler Trio, the D4,Steriogram, Che Fu, Don McGlashan, Opshop and Rhombus. St James, 7 pm, doors open 6pm $40 from Real Groovy or ticketdirect.co.nz. Door sales at the St James from 2pm.(3) The Prime Minister will address the Greenpeace reception at the St James Theatre, at 5.30 this evening. Media enquiries to Tiy Chung + 64 21 927 301