Rainbow Warrior Bombing 40th Anniversary: Advocates Warn of Expanding Nuclearism in the Pacific

As the world commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Rainbow Warrior bombing, anti-nuclear advocates are sounding the alarm about the resurgence of nuclearism in the Pacific region, highlighting the potential threat posed by the AUKUS security pact.

The Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace vessel, was bombed in Auckland Harbour, New Zealand, on July 10, 1985. The attack, carried out by French agents, resulted in the death of crew member and photographer Fernando Pereira. At the time, the ship was preparing to challenge French nuclear testing in French Polynesia's Moruroa atoll.

Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, a prominent anti-nuclear advocate from Aotearoa, recalls the moment the Rainbow Warrior arrived in Tāmaki Makaurau.