The aircraft carrier "George Washington" in Palma

The aircraft carrier "George Washington" is expected to arrive in the port of Palma on December 5- Therefore the executive director of Greenpeace Spain, Xavier Pastor, has sent an e-mail to the president of the Balearic Government, Francesc Antich, the councillor of environment, Margalida Rosselló, to the vice president, Pere Sampol and the councillor Eberhard Grosske to ask the Balearic Government to formally oppose the presence of the North American nuclear aircraft carrier "USS George Washington" in the waters of the Bay of Palma.

According to the ecological organisation, this boat, propelled by atomic energy, is doted with two reactors of 100 megawatts, that make the aircraft carrier in two floating nuclear power centres. In the opinion of Greenpeace, the risks inherent in the "George Washington" is double that of the submarine "Tireless", whose nuclear system broke down and has been a potential danger for the inhabitants of Gibraltar and the whole area of Algeciras.

Meanwhile, activists of Greenpeace this morning have taken a sample of the ash produced by the incinerator of waste in Son Reus in Mallorca to the Mayor of Bilbao, Iáki Azkuna, to ask him to abandon the project Zabalgarbi, in Artigas (Bilbao). The volunteers have hung a banner with the slogan “No to the incinerator of Zabalgarbi", in Basque and Spanish.

Photo © U.S. Navy: Aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73)

UPDATE (05/12/2000)

Since the early hours of the morning, activists of Greenpeace in a zodiac and with the support of the yacht "Greenpeace VI-Zorba" have been obstructing in the Bay of Palma the manoeuvres by the Northamerican aircraft carrier "George Washinton" to anchor in the Bay of Palma.

Meanwhile, the president of the Balearic Government, Francesc Antich, has sent a letter to the maximum authorities of the State, to state the Govern's rejection and protest for the anchoring by the aircraft carrier George Washington in the Bay of Palma.

LAST MINUTE (05/12/2000)

After over six hours of pacific protest, the Civil Guard forced the Greenpeace activist to stop their action in two rubber dinghies to prevent the aircraft carrier from anchoring in the bay of Palma, by shooting rubber balls. Members of the Civl Guard boarded the yacht "Greenpeace VI - Zorba", producing an inspection of the boat and requesting documentation.

Date of publication: 04/12/2000

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