The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior

  

The Sinking of the 

Rainbow Warrior

On 10th July 1985, the Greenpeace vessel called the Rainbow   Warrior was departing on another human rights protest by sailing out   to the Mururoa Atoll and to stop the French from detonating another   nuclear bomb in the Pacific Ocean. Greenpeace is often described   as the largest environmental organisation in the world with offices in 39 countries. However, the Rainbow Warrior was sunk at the port of   Auckland by French Secret Service (DGSE) agents before the ship could depart. 

The Rainbow Warrior sunk and killed 1 person: Fernando Pereira.

A portuguese photographer that drowned when the bomb exploded. The hole where the bomb went off was roughly the size of a car!

France’s point of view

France did not want to let New Zealand interfere with the nuclear testing going on in the Pacific ocean. A spy called Christine Cabon entered New Zealand and introduced herself to Greenpeace under the name of Frederique Bonlieu. She explained that she was very passionate about the environment and wanted to volunteer. Six weeks later Christine Cabon Departed and left New Zealand. Therefore, France got many ideas of what New Zealand was departing on the next protest and how France could sabotage it. Apparently nobody was meant to lose their life. The first mine was supposed to crumple the hull so the people on board would have enough time to get off before the second mine detonated. But instead, the first mine detonated and left a gigantic hole in the boat 7 minutes later the second mine went off and then 4 minutes after that the Rainbow Warrior sunk.

New Zealand point of view

New Zealand was very, very upset when they found out one of their allies had betrayed them. The skipper of the Rainbow Warrior called Peter Willox says he will always state the operation by France was murder. The people of New Zealand consider the bombing of the boat terrorism.

Remake of the Rainbow Warrior