Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior sails into Edinburgh

Published on Saturday 21 November 2009 10:19

IT'S been battered, rammed, kidnapped, confiscated and chased. When it comes to ships, there's few with a name as famous as the Rainbow Warrior – and none with such a dramatic history.

The Rainbow Warrior at Leith Docks

Next week, the flagship vessel for the environmental charity Greenpeace will be docking in Leith – near Ocean Terminal and not far from the rather more stately Royal Yacht Britannia.

While the majestic yacht is renowned for elegant cruising and Royal guests, its neighbour for the weekend is a little more rough and ready, as those who take up the invitation of a free tour will find out.

This Rainbow Warrior is the second ship of that name to carry the charity's environmental activism message around the world – the original was blown up and sunk by agents of the French government in 1985, killing Greenpeace's Spanish photographer Fernando Pereira. The ship had been involved in protests over French nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.

The French agents' plan backfired spectacularly – the sinking making headlines around the world, eliciting sympathy and publicity for Greenpeace's cause.

The 55-metre vessel which replaced the original boat was built in 1957 in Yorkshire. Originally a steam-powered fishing boat, it was converted by Greenpeace. It has a sailing speed of five to seven knots and a maximum speed under engine power of 12 knots. It has a large oak dolphin standing on her fore-deck, and carries the wheel and bell from the original ship.

Like its predecessor, this Rainbow Warrior has seen its fair share of turbulence. In 1995, ten years after the original ship was sunk, it was back at the Pacific island of Mururoa, protesting once again at French nuclear testing.

Graham Thompson, a Greenpeace activist who will be part of the crew on board the ship when it sails from London for its stop in Leith next weekend, says: "French commandos were chasing the Rainbow Warrior and it was sailing in a figure of eight, trying to avoid them. Eventually though they boarded, all with their balaclavas on.

"The crew of the Rainbow Warrior barricaded themselves in the bridge and filmed the commandos coming on board."

What they captured on film – which was subsequently broadcast worldwide – was the commandos smashing their way in with crowbars and tear gas. The crew was eventually arrested – all insisted on giving their name as that of the dead photographer, Fernando Pereira, in what Graham calls a "Spartacus" moment.

Through it all, the ship continued in its figure of eight. "The French commandos were very perplexed and began searching the ship. This went on until they heard a live interview on the radio – with the captain of the Rainbow Warrior who was in the crow's nest controlling the ship by remote control.

"They tried to climb up to reach him but the crew had greased the mast."

Eventually he was caught and the ship towed away, but the point had been made. In 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was adopted by the United Nations, though 13 years later the treaty has still not been ratified.

The ship was last in Edinburgh in 2002, when one of its visitors was Steve Burgess, now an Edinburgh City councillor for the Green Party. Back in 1997, he had spent three months as a deckhand on the Rainbow Warrior when it was in New Zealand.

"It was strangely familiar and very emotional to be back," he recalls.

After its brief stop in Leith, the Rainbow Warrior will set sail for Copenhagen climate change conference, when world leaders will gather to attempt to thrash out a successor to the Kyoto protocol, a global deal to tackle environmental issues.

"We will be trying to push the meeting towards as strong an agreement as possible," says Graham.

Free tours take place next Saturday and Sunday from 10am. You must register in advance at www.greenpeace.org.uk/rainbow.