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Greenpeace denies yacht sabotage

Areva crewmembers, top, come face-to-face with Greenpeace protesters, left

LORIENT, France -- Greenpeace has denied allegations that one of its dinghies deliberately rammed France's America's Cup yacht, damaging its hull, during a protest against the team's nuclear power sponsor.

Xavier de Lesquen, head of the French Defi Areva syndicate, said the collision on Saturday in Lorient, France, "was a deliberate act of aggression."

But the environmental action group on Monday denied the claims, saying one of the French team's own boats rammed the protesters' dinghy, sending it crashing into the yacht.

Greenpeace's French chief Bruno Rebelle told Reuters: "We only deal in pacifist and non-violent confrontation." The Greenpeace boat, carrying four activists, had been approaching the pontoon to drop off a protester with a banner, added Rebelle.

Witnesses told the news agency Greenpeace activists evaded a maritime patrol boat then bore down on the yacht, hitting and denting its carbon fibre structure midway along the hull.

According to The Associated Press, LCI television showed the Greenpeace dinghy speeding toward the yacht but did not show the impact.

Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier, director of communication and spokesman for the Areva Group, said on Saturday: "We are amazed by this hooligan behaviour, which we condemn. It illustrates to everyone the intolerance and dogmatism of Greenpeace."

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The French protesters are campaigning against the $23 million sponsorship of the team by Areva, which is involved in mining, power generation and reprocessing of nuclear fuels.

Areva was formed by the French government in September 2001 and operates 60 plants in 29 countries with 45,000 employees.

Police questioned 11 people about Saturday's collision, including Greenpeace's anti-nuclear campaign coordinator Frederic Marillier, who was released later.

The America's Cup is due to be held next year in Auckland, New Zealand, which has been declared by the government a nuclear free zone.

Anger is still felt there over the Rainbow Warrior -- a Greenpeace ship blown up and sunk by French secret service agents in Auckland in 1985 in which a Greenpeace photographer was killed.

Greenpeace in New Zealand plans non-violent protests in Auckland, which could disrupt the racing.

Saulnier says Areva is not part of the nuclear arms industry and has nothing to do with the sinking of Rainbow Warrior.

"We should not be held accountable for what happened 20 years ago," he said. "New Zealanders know very well the difference between civil and military nuclear capabilities. When we explain this to them, then they will understand."