unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (10/04/89)
Forwarded-From : GREENPEACE Newsline
ROUNDUP OF RAINBOW WARRIOR TOUR IN EUROPE
The purpose of the European tour was to introduce the
Rainbow Warrior and the issues that she would be
campaigning on in the Pacific, including placing French
testing into the political context of the Greenpeace
campaign for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and
overcoming the 'anti-French' perception. Increasing
recognition among Europeans of their commercial and
government responsibility for many of the problems facing
the Pacific region is essential for the long term success
of Greenpeace campaigning in the Pacific.
The RW visited countries for an average of two days each.
Activities in port were a mixture of public open day,
political meeting, campaigning groundwork and public
relations/merchandising/fundraising, depending on the
office concerned. On board were an audio-visual
presentation about Greenpeace campaigns in the Pacific,
with music and taped commentary in the languages of each
country en route, exhibitions about nuclear testing, the
Pacific and the refitting of this ship, leaflets and
briefings on a range of Greenpeace campaigns and various
videos - and of course the crew, and an assortment of
campaigners, carpenters and often press and camera crews!
This was a heavy programme of activity, particularly since
the ship was also undergoing sea trials and still needed
work before she would be fully ready. Luckily the sun
shone for everything except the visit to Copenhagen
and despite a number of teething
problems, breakdowns only affected the visits to Leningrad
and Stockholm -- and both were very successful
nevertheless.
In almost all countries there was good - and in some cases
very extensive - t.v. and radio coverage of the RW's
arrival, press conferences and interviews. Major national
newspapers carried news stories, and in some cases the
visit was the opportunity for features on particular GP
campaigns.
Altogether an estimated 30,000 people visited the ship in
the ten ports, and though I don't have numbers many offices
reported a healthy increase in membership as well.
The Rainbow Warrior was launched with a large press
conference with international as well as German press,
t.v., radio etc. There was also a galaxy of Greenpeace
stars and VIPs. Speeches focussed on the Rainbow Warrior's
mission in the Pacific, and culminated in the ringing of
the bell salvaged from the first RW after it was bombed and
sunk. A very moving letter was read from Senator Jetan
Anjain on behalf of the Rongelap islanders, who had been
helped by the RW in 1985 to evacuate from their island
contaminated by fallout from U.S.nuclear testing in the
1950s. There was a party in the evening, with live music on
board. Thousands of well wishers came to the public open
day the next day.
COPENHAGEN - DENMARK July 14 - 15
Reception on board with members of the Danish parliament.
during the two open days about 4,000 people visited the
ship, despite the rain and bad weather. A small Danish
fishing boat which had its maiden voyage at that time
donated the proceeds of their first catch to the RW to take
for the people of Rongelap. Good media coverage, including
major article directly resulting from the RW's visit,
highlighting the waste trade in the Pacific.
Unfortunately on its way out, the ship developed engine
trouble and had to return to port for a few days for
repairs.
LENINGRAD - USSR July 24 - 25
Despite a last minute postponement, the visit to Leningrad
went very well, making full use of all the Russian language
campaign materials on board. The main campaign focus of
the visit to Leningrad was a nuclear propulsion ban. At
the press conference, attended by the Chair of Greenpeace
Soviet Union, Alexei Yablokov, the work of the new Soviet
office was introduced. Greenpeace also called for a
moratorium on nuclear testing leading to the conclusion of
a CTBT.
In the evening a symposium on nuclear propulsion was held
on board. It was attended by 50 Soviet officials,
scientists, representatives from the local naval dockyards
and environmentalists, who afterwards joined the crew for
supper!
The next day the ship was open to the public and we were
overwhelmed by the numbers who came, eager to talk about a
range of local issues including contamination at the naval
shipyards and the toxic pollution of lakes and waterways.
STOCKHOLM - SWEDEN July 27
Despite a late change in the itinerary due to engine
trouble which also meant that the ship could only stay one
day, over 3,000 people met and visited the ship. A Sami
couple (from the the nomadic people of Northern
Scandinavia, also known as Laplanders) were appointed
patrons of the Rainbow Warrior on behalf of the Swedish
people and exchanged gifts with the Captain to symbolise
this and link with the people of the Pacific region. Sami
culture has been seriously endangered by heavy
contamination of their homes and herds after the Chernobyl
accident and fall out. Guests included Marie-Therese and
Bengt Danielsson (former Swedish consul to French Polynesia
and author of books on French nuclear testing in the
Pacific) and Margot Wallstroem, Swedish Government
Minister.
AMSTERDAM - NETHERLANDS August 3 -4
Layover for extra maintenance work on the ship. Press
conference and reception. No public open day.
OOSTENDE - BELGIUM August 6 - 7
A fleet of ten yachts with press and supporters escorted
the Rainbow Warrior 10 miles into Ostend. The Press
conference covered a range of Pacific issues,
concentrating especially on ocean incineration of toxic
waste, linking the threat of this practice in the Pacific
with the presence in Ostend harbour of the Vulcanus I, an
ocean incineration ship. The ship was open to the public
for two days, visited by about 4,000 people, including two
government ministers and the President of the Labour Party.
LONDON - ENGLAND August 9 - 10
The ship was escorted through Tower Bridge by a number of
inflatables. The press conference focussing especially on
the danger to local health of nuclear reprocessing at the
Sellafield (Windscale) plant in Cumbria, linking the high
incidence of leukaemia among children living nearby with
the high rates of cancer and birth defects among Pacific
Islanders as a result of the nuclear testing programmes of
Britain and the USA in the 1950s and continuing testing by
France. Afterwards there was a day of activities for the
children of Cumbrian families afflicted with cancer,
including trips up the Thames in Rainbow Warrior
inflatables and a party with the crew. The following day
there was a reception at which a new children's computer
game called Rainbow Warriors was launched. In the evening
there was a party with music for about 700 Greenpeace
supporters, consultants and political allies.
DUBLIN - IRELAND August 18 -19
The press conference on arrival linked radioactive dumping
by Sellafield with the contamination of the Pacific,
especially from nuclear testing, and the common plight of
victims of the nuclear fuel/nuclear production cycles
throughout the world. During the evening a reception was
held for local and national politicians, including the
leader of the opposition. The next day thousands of people
queued to visit the ship, so that we had to remain open for
an extra hour to ensure no-one was disappointed.
LA CORUNA - SPAIN August 25 - 26
The Rainbow Warrior covered most of the journey from Dublin
to La Coruna under full sail, making little use of the
engines. On arrival we were greeted by hundreds of people,
and during the open days about 10,000 people passed the
gangway to come on board. There was great media attention,
with extensive regional coverage. At the press conference
particular emphasis was placed on the Spanish socialist
MEP's failure to support in the European Parliament a
socialist resolution calling for an independent
investigation into the health and environmental effects of
nuclear testing in the Pacific, while they claim to support
anti-nuclear policies at home. A very successful political
reception was held at which local issues were discussed and
good local contacts made.
LA ROCHELLE - FRANCE September 1 - 3
A fleet of small sailboats with journalists on board
escorted the Rainbow Warrior into this ancient French port
on the historic occasion of the first visit by a Greenpeace
ship to France after the French secret service bombed its
eponymous predecessor on July 10th 1985 in Auckland
Harbour. The press conference on board was very well
attended. Eminent scientists, including Professor Theodore
Monod and Dr Raymond Duguy, as well as local
environmentalists also attended to give support. Jean
Carlier spoke of how the Rainbow Warrior would carry to the
UN in New York on behalf of the French people in their
bicentenary year a new Article 31, adding the right to a
safe, clean environment to the Declaration of Human Rights.
During the next two days over 3,000 people visited the
ship, some bringing gifts of poems, flowers and local fruit
and vegetables, to send the ship on its way to New York and
from there to the Pacific, to carry on the mission of the
previous Rainbow Warrior, for a pollution free and nuclear
free Pacific.
Thank you to everyone -- volunteers, offices, those who
worked on the materials, marine division, Captain and crew
-- and most of all to all those people who turned out in
every port to give the ship such a great welcome.
* Origin: >> You can't sink a Rainbow << [Echo-coordinator] (2:513/13.1302)
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Patt Haring | United Nations | FAX: 212-787-1726
patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information | BBS: 201-795-0733
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