Doom clock slowed?

Press, 1 October 1983, Page 8

Doom clock slowed?

PA Wellington Soviet diplomats scored points yesterday with the anti-nuclear weapons movement as the nuclear doomsday clock ticked away its last four minutes.

Three Greenpeace protesters — Messrs Mark Roach, Phillip Scotford, and Liam Brosnan — started a vigil outside the Soviet Embassy gates in Karori at 8 a.m. yesterday, as part of several protests planned against embassies . of nuclear-bomb nations.

Their 2m-high clock represented the increasing chances of a nuclear war. It was set in 1945 at 11 a.m. and now has four minutes left until midnight and a “nuclear holocaust.”

In August Greenpeace protested outside the French Embassy but was not permitted inside to talk about the nuclear arms race and bomb tests.

Yesterday, however, the protesters were allowed inside the Soviet Embassy and spoke to senior embassy officials.

The Embassy press officer, Mr Sergei Buranov, said afterwards that the Greenpeace protesters had produced some interesting and positive ideas. “Most interesting were their ideas on a weapons freeze, and that it is important to educate as many people as possible about how dangerous the nuclear arms race is, and what a

waste of money it is,” he said.

One of the protesters, Mr Roach, said afterwards that his group had been surprised when embassy officials told them that the Soviet Union had policies for no-flrst nuclear strike, and a weapons freeze.

“It was news to us to hear it from official sources,” he said.

“Basically though they are just as paranoid as anyone about the tense world situation and the breakdown of trust between the Soviet Union and United States.”

Greenpeace protesters plan more vigils outside the British, Chinese, and Indian embassies.