Social Studies: New Zealand Protest Movements

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about Protest Movements have happened in the past, in New Zealand. I have chosen to write about the bombing of the Greenpeace 'Rainbow Warrior' 

What happened?

On the 10th of July, 1985 the Greenpeace flagship boat, also known as the 'Rainbow Warrior' was bombed by two undercover French Secret Agents who were from the Direction Générale De La Sécurité Extérieure, otherwise known as the DGSE/French Secret Service. The bombing happened at Marsden Wharf at the Auckland Harbour. 'Operation Satanic' was the name of the bombing operation for the Rainbow Warrior.

 Two limpet mines were specifically placed on the boat from underneath the water by the two DGSE agents. The bombs went off just before midnight, the first one leaving a 2m2 hole in the engine room and the other smaller bomb which was attached to the keel.  The Rainbow Warrior was wrecked beyond repair. With this, also taking the life of Fernando Pereira, a freelance photographer among the Rainbow Warrior crew.

Who was involved?

In total, there were 12 French agents who worked on Operation Satanic in New Zealand, with this group of 4 teams. The Ouvea team, the support team, the attack team and the two remaining people, the team commander and information gatherer. 

The Ouvea team consisted of 5 people, they brought the bombs and other equipment into New Zealand. The people in the team were:

• Ronald Verge (Chief Petty Officer)
• Gerald Andries (Petty Officer)
• Jean Michel Bartelo (Petty Officer)
• Xavier Maniguet (Doctor, specialist in diving accidents)

The support team was made up of a pair of DGSE agents, Captain Dominique Prieur & Major Alain Mafart who acted as Swiss honeymooners. Their part in the operation was transporting the bombs, gear and agents. 

The combat team, this team attached the bombs to the boat. The team was made up of:

• Jean Cammas (Combat Diver)
• Jean Luc Keister (Combat Diver, Team Leader)
• Gerald Royal
• Francois Verlet (Coordinator, left before bombings)

 The last team consisted of two DGSE agents, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Pierre Dillais who was the operation commander and Christine Cabon who gathered information and also joined the Greenpeace organisation. 

Why were they protesting?

The Rainbow Warrior was bombed because the Rainbow Warrior and the crew aboard are sailing to the Mururoa Atoll in the Pacific, the place where the French carried out their nuclear testing. France had been testing their nuclear weapons at the Mururoa Atoll since 1962. The first nuclear bombs were dropped from the air, then in the 1970's due to protests, the testing went underground. By 1985, a shocking number of over a 100 tests had happened at Mururoa. New Zealand, being a nuclear free country wasn't for the testing in the Pacific, Marion Hobbs, the Minister for Disarmament in New Zealand at the time said 'If you want to test you should do it in your own backyard'. Each explosion caused the island to sink by a couple of centimeters, leading to sides of the island completely blown off and a crack running through the side of the island which was about 800 metres long and 30 centimeters wide. The French wanted to stop the Rainbow Warrior from reaching Mururoa.

What was the outcome?

Only two of the 12 people part of Operation Satanic were arrested and found, all the others got out of New Zealand swiftly and quietly, including the two men who placed the bombs on the Rainbow Warrior. Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart are arrested, they are charged with murder, arson and conspiracy. In court, they plead guilty, expecting to be deported at worst or a heavy fine, instead they are both given 10 years in prison in New Zealand. However, a deal thought up by the U.N. sees Prieur and Mafart released and taken back to France. In return, France is forced to apologise to New Zealand and Greenpeace, they also pay Greenpeace 8 million dollars in compensation and a further 13 million to the New Zealand Government. 

On the 12th of December, 1987, the Rainbow Warrior set out on her final voyage to her resting place in Matauri Bay. The Rainbow Warrior is left to sink, while members of the public look on from boats. 

The Rainbow Warrior now brings new life into Matauri Bay, fish and other marine wildlife living there. Coral and seaweed grow on the wreck.

Greenpeace isn't done yet though, in 1992, seven years after the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, her successor, the Rainbow Warrior II goes to the Mururoa Atoll, a Rainbow Warrior has finally made its way to Mururoa. France reluctantly stops nuclear testing, joining the United States of America, United Kingdom and Soviet Union.

However in 1995, a new president told the military to start doing nuclear testing again. This prompts the Rainbow Warrior II and her crew to sail off to Mururoa, one last time. Finally, in 1996 France stopped nuclear testing at the Mururoa Atoll once and for all. 

The daughter of Fernando Pereira, Marelle Pereira still demands for justice regarding her father's death. She says that she and her family have accepted what happened to her father in 1985, but that they won't forgive or forget it.

Thanks for reading!