Peace campaign will go on—Greenpeace

Press, 12 July 1985, Page 4

Peace campaign will go on—Greenpeace

PA Auckland Greenpeace, members are determined the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior will not interfere with their peace campaigns.

“We have got to make sure Fernando didn’t die in vain,” said Dr Patrick Moore, a Canadian executive director of Greenpeace International, last evening, referring to the death of the ship’s engineer and photographer, Fernando Pereira, of Portugal.

His comment echoed the feelings of many Greenpeace workers after the fatal explosions in the Rainbow Warrior just before midnight on Wednesday.

“If whoever did this wanted to stop us by sinking our boat, we can always get more ships,” said Dr Moore. “If they wanted to intimidate us by killing one of our people it will only increase our resolve and, in the long term, bring in more volunteers.” Dr Moore said the attack had served to focus greater world attention on the campaign for a nuclear-free Pacific and an end to French nuclear testing at Mururoa.

“The Mururoa voyage will go ahead,” he said.

Other assessments of the possible damage to the Rainbow Warrior, however, throw doubt on whether the ship can be salvaged. A Greenpeace International director and campaign co-ordinator, Mr Steve Sawyer, said a crew member of the neighbouring boat Django saw the second explosion as a huge underwater flash, shooting out from the stern, and well under water. “That would indicate that there has been fairly severe damage to the propellers, rudder, stern bearings, and the keel. There is also the question of damage from rust to the engines and generator once the ship is lifted.”

Total repair and salvage costs could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Greenpeace would have to consider if the cost was worth it, Mr Sawyer said. “It will make the journey to Mururoa and the return almost impossible, especially for the smaller boats such as the Klis, which were relying on Rainbow Warrior for food and fresh water.” Greenpeace workers, crew members and officials will meet today to decide whether to bring another Greenpeace ship into the

Pacific for the Mururoa voyage and whether New Zealand skippers were still prepared to go. Mr Sawyer said the four Greenpeace council members and two international directors had intended holding a regional meeting in Auckland to discuss the Rainbow Warrior’s campaign in the Pacific. Throughout yesterday the atmosphere in the Auckland Greenpeace office reflected desolate shock. Tears were shed as telephone calls from throughout New Zealand and overseas were answered.

Two trust funds for public donations will be set up today. One will be for the two children of Mr Pereira, and the second will be for the salvage of the Rainbow Warrior.

An Auckland lawyer, Mr Rodney Harrison, drew up

the trust documents last evening at the request of Greenpeace. Greenpeace supporters had collected about $6OOO in public donations from a street appeal last evening. “It has been quite amazing,” said Greenpeace’s New Zealand fund-raiser, Judy Seaboyer. “One person gave us $1000.” The crew were swamped with offers of billets. They had lost all their possessions when the ship sank. Clothes given by the public were welcomed. One Auckland manufacturer gave jeans and shirts. Waitemata’s Mayor, Mr Tim Shadbolt, gave $5O to start a relief fund in that municipality, and Mount Eden’s Mayor, Ms Philippa Cunningham, indicated that the council would pass on all public donations to Greenpeace.