GREENPEACE PROTESTERS ON STILTS DISRUPT FRENCH AMBASSADOR'S BASTILLE DAY PARTY

LONDON, 14 July, 1995 -- A secret Bastille Day celebration held at the French Ambassador's residence in London was disrupted today by over 100 Greenpeace activists - some of them twelve foot tall on stilts. The protesters jumped over fences and invaded a garden party held at the Ambassador's residence in Kensingston Gardens.

Greenpeace took this action to protest against proposed nuclear testing by the French Government at Morurua Atoll in the South Pacific. French President Chirac has now confirmed that some of these tests are for the development of new warheads for the next century.

Janet Convery of Greenpeace UK said "Bastille Day is traditionally a celebration of liberty. Rather than liberating the world from nuclear testing, France has now admitted that they plan to extend their nuclear arsenal into the next century."

To escalate the campaign against French testing Greenpeace will today call on people throughout the world who can join the environmental organization aboard their own vessels at Moruroa Atoll to prevent the resumption of tests in September. "We want people to come together in a Peace Flotilla to Moruroa. France must acknowledge the force of world opinion and listen to the people of Polynesia and everywhere. It must cancel these tests immediately."

Today's protest at the Ambassador's residence coincides with similar protests across the world. Greenpeace is organising demonstrations and protests in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Greece, Ireland,Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and the USA.

The Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior, is due to arrive in Tahiti to mark Bastille Day protests there. Earlier in the week the ship was towed out of the 12 mile exclusion zone around Morurua Atoll. Three Greenpeace activists remain somewhere within the exclusion zone. They promise to remain there to disrupt the preparation's for the nuclear tests.

Contact:

Adam Wolf, Greenpeace Press Office: 0171 359 4837, 0171 354 5100

Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications: 0171 833 0600