GREENPEACE DIVERS UNDER TEST MONITORING PLATFORM TO STOP FRENCH NUCLEAR TEST

MORUROA, 5.20pm BST, 1 September, 1995--As commandos storm the Rainbow Warrior, its captain Jon Castle is in the ship's crows nest and two Greenpeace divers are under the test monitoring platform in Moruroa lagoon.

The Greenpeace helicopter pilot hovering above the scene has confirmed the divers' presence. Both divers were dropped into the lagoon by at least two inflatables which had raced into the Moruroa Lagoon as commandos boarded the Rainbow Warrior.

Greenpeace campaigner Xavier Pastor, aboard the MV Greenpeace which is monitoring the events outside the 12-mile limit, has told the French navy frigate VENDEMAIRE that the divers are beneath the platform.

"If France detonates its bomb now it endangers global efforts to ban nuclear weapons tests and risks the lives of our peaceful protestors," said Pastor. "We appeal to President Chirac to listen to commonsense and the overwhelming opposition by people worldwide, over 150 governments and a majority of French people and end this nuclear nightmare now."

The Rainbow Warrior has stopped within the 12-mile exclusion zone. Nineteen commandos have boarded the vessel and have used welding gear to cut their way into the bridge.

For more information, contact: Stephanie Mills or Pierre-Emmanauel Neurohr on board the SV Rainbow Warrior: +872 1300312;
Xavier Pastor or Jean-Luc Thierry on board the MV Greenpeace: +872 1300310;
Thomas Schultz, Greenpeace International, Tahiti: +689 770 613;
reenpeace Communications: +44 171 833 0600

Note to Editor:

Greenpeace Executive Director Steve D'Esposito has issued a plea for all protests taking place in the event of French testing to be peaceful. For a copy of the statement, please contact the numbers above.