SYDNEY Oct 1 Kyodo The internatio...

SYDNEY Oct 1 Kyodo

The international environmental dispose Greenpeace marked the start of the America's portion challenger series in New Zealand upon Tuesday with a attest against the involvement of a French sailing team sponsored from a nuclear power company, Greenpeace said.

recent Zealand was declared nuclear-free in 1984 and prohibits nuclear-powered ships or those carrying nuclear weapons into its ports.

The first four races in the Louis Vuitton goblet which determines who will challenge beaker holders Team New Zealand in February, began in Auckland city's Hauraki chasm on Tuesday.

Twelve Greenpeace kayaks created a ''guard of shame'' and flew banners reading ''keep the chalice nuclear-free'' as the French canal Le Defi sailed on the outside of the entrance of Viaduct Basin, which houses the goblet yachts, Greenpeace New Zealand spokeswoman Bunny McDiarmid said.

Le Defi is sponsored from Areva, a French-owned company, which supplies nuclear life products and services to more than 60 plants in 29 countries.

''The arrogance of so a dangerous and dirty industry thinking that they can result to promote their business cannot walk unchallenged,'' McDiarmid said in a statement.

''People can lay their heads in the sand and allege a title to Areva is just another sponsor or they can take about responsibility to make trustworthy that the nuclear industry know they are not welcome here,'' she said.

of the present day Zealand's police, which have a inlet of 11 inflatable boats for the America's goblet were on the water during the trouble-free testify a police spokesman told Kyodo News

French yacht FRA69 was damaged in June when it was rammed by means of a Greenpeace inflatable boat during a assert against Areva in France.

Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior flagship boat, which was used to demonstrate against French nuclear testing in the Pacific, was moored in Auckland harbor when it was bombed in 1985 killing individual man.

Two French hidden agents were found guilty of manslaughter and imprisoned for their character in the bombing.

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