TAHITI: THOUSANDS OF ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTESTERS STAGE RALLY AS FRANCE'S MINISTER FOR OVERSEAS TERRITORIES ARRIVES IN TAHITI

Record ID: 215316

  • Title: TAHITI: THOUSANDS OF ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTESTERS STAGE RALLY AS FRANCE'S MINISTER FOR OVERSEAS TERRITORIES ARRIVES IN TAHITI
  • Date: 26th August 1995
  • Summary: PAPEETE AND FAA, TAHITI (AUGUST 26, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) PAPEETE 1. GV EXT CHURCH / PARISHIONERS FROM WESTERN SIDE OF TAHITI SINGING PRAYERS BEFORE MARCH (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. SV ANTI-NUCLEAR LEAFLETS BEING HANDED OUT 0.16 3. SV PEOPLE SINGING (3 SHOTS) 0.23 4. SV/LV INDEPENDENCE LEADER OSCAR TEMARU (ON RIGHT) AND UNITED S
  • Embargoed: 10th September 1995 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PAPEETE AND FAA, TAHITI
  • City:
  • Country: EUROPE Pacific Islands French Polynesia
  • Reuters ID: LVA7RQ2D7ZCI6OWH1IBK6MKCLKVB
  • Story Text: Thousands of anti-nuclear protesters staged a rally in Papeete as France's Minister for Overseas Territories Jean Jacques de Peretti arrived in Tahiti on Saturday (August 26).

    Large crowds of people marched through the streets of Tahiti's capital and parishioners of the Evangelical Church of French Polynesia attended a church-organised protest against planned French nuclear tests in the South Pacific.

    Starting from four churches around the outskirts of Papeete, marchers carried a banner reading "Oppose nuclear. We are for living. We aren't for death" and hoisted flags emblazoned with a dove with an olive branch in its beak, as a symbol of peace.

    "It is the first time the Church has called the population onto the street and I applaud the initiative," said Oscar Temaru, mayor of the town of Faa and a leading anti-nuclear campaigner and independence leader, as he walked with Ralph Teinaore, general-secretary of the Evangelical church.

    Teinaore said "We are here to appeal to (French) President (Jacques) Chirac to reverse his decision to resume nuclear testing at Mururoa," before leading some 500 marchers into town. French officials estimated that some 3,000 people took part in the march.

    Eighteen men from the Cook Islands left Tahiti to travel 750 miles in an outrigger canoe to the Muruoa Atoll to protest against the nuclear testing plans.

    As the boat prepared to leave Papeete port, Tahitian anti-nuclear campaigners, including Oscar Temaru. One man, Pito Clement performed a traditional farewell ceremony and the Cook Islanders responded with the haka chant they will perform at Mururoa.

    De Peretti said that although France would go ahead with its nuclear tests, it did not plan to use an atomic bomb.

    He said he planned to talk to many people during his visit, and to discuss economics in the area after the tests had been completed.

    De Peretti repeated France's pledge to continue the current level of financial aid to the area until the year 2003.

    Also on Saturday the South Pacific games closed in Tahiti with a ceremony attended by de Peretti and Tahitian President Gaston Flosse.

    The games began on August 12. More than 2,500 competitors from 13 countries and territories participated. Calls for the games to be boycotted over the nuclear issue had little effect, with only two of countries pulling out for political reasons.

    Although the opening ceremony of the games was marred by 150 demonstrators the closing celebrations passed without incident.


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