Sailing-Anti-nuclear protesters greet French cup boat
Date: 02-Oct-02
Country: NEW ZEALAND
Author: Paul Tait
About 10 protesters formed what the environmental group described as "a guard of shame" as the bright green hulled Le Devi Areva boat left its mooring for their first Louis Vuitton Cup race against Swiss favourites Alinghi.
"We want to make sure we use as many opportunities as possible to get the message across to people like Areva that their dirty nuclear industry is not welcome," Greenpeace spokeswoman Bunny McDiarmid told Reuters.
The French appeared unconcerned as they were towed past the protesters to the race course in the Hauraki Gulf and have welcomed Greenpeace's interest in their campaign.
Le Defi's principal sponsor for their $30 million campaign is Areva S.A., the French nuclear power supplier, a connection which has angered many in New Zealand, where nuclear-powered vessels have been banned from entering its waters. Areva is estimated to have contributed about 60 percent of the team' budget.
Greenpeace delivered organic New Zealand cheese and kiwi fruit wine to the Le Defi camp when their two boats arrived in August.
Some local observers have described the boats' iridescent hulls as "radioactive green" but syndicate head Xavier de Lesquen's team promptly threw a small party to thank Greenpeace for their gifts.
French Greenpeace activists earlier this year branded Areva's involvement as the height of contempt because of the 1985 sinking of the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour.
The vessel was blown up by two French secret agents working for the General Directorate of External Security, the French equivalent of the CIA.
The explosion killed Dutch-Portuguese photographer Fernando Pereira and left the Rainbow Warrior half-submerged in Auckland harbour.
The Rainbow Warrior had been about to set sail for Mururoa Atoll in French Polynesia to join protests against French nuclear testing there. France angered many in the Pacific 10 years later when they staged more nuclear tests.