The Rainbow Warrior
The Rainbow Warrior is an undisputed icon. Synonymous with breaking boundaries and fearless campaigning, Greenpeace has sailed with the name Rainbow Warrior since 1978. Our current sailing ship has been patrolling the world’s oceans since 2011.
The Marshall Islands tour and 40 year celebration
At the invitation of the Marshallese community and government, the Rainbow Warrior is in the Pacific nation to celebrate 40 years since 1985’s Operation Exodus, and stand in support of their ongoing fight for nuclear justice, climate action, and self-determination. Our flagship vessel has returned to the Marshall Islands for a six-week mission around the Pacific nation to elevate calls for nuclear and climate justice; and support independent scientific research into the impacts of decades-long nuclear weapons testing by the US government.
Alongside the government of the Marshall Islands, Greenpeace will lead an independent scientific mission into the ongoing impacts of the US weapons testing program. Travelling across the country, Greenpeace will reaffirm its solidarity with the Marshallese people — now facing further harm and displacement from the climate crisis, and the emerging threat of deep sea mining in the Pacific.
This journey brings together science, storytelling, and activism to support the Marshallese movement for justice and recognition. Independent radiation experts and Greenpeace scientists will conduct crucial research across the atolls, providing much-needed data on remaining nuclear contamination. For decades, research on radiation levels has been controlled by the same government that conducted the nuclear tests, leaving many unanswered questions. This independent study will help support the Marshallese people in their ongoing legal battles for recognition, reparations, and justice.
-
40 years since evacuation due to US nuclear tests, Greenpeace and displaced Rongelap community honour commitment to nuclear and climate justice fight
“The bonds between Marshall Islands and Greenpeace are very strong and have stood the test of time. They say we rescued them from a contaminated Rongelap, but the reality is that they rescued themselves – the Marshallese are the strong and brave people who took their future into their own hands and continue to do…
-
“We are not just welcoming you as allies, but as family” – Why The Rainbow Warrior is back to Marshall Islands 40 years later
The Marshallese are not just survivors of past injustices; they are champions of a just future. Their leadership reminds us that those most affected by climate change are not only calling for action—they are showing the way forward.
-
Rainbow Warrior arrives in Marshall Islands to call for nuclear and climate justice on 40th anniversary of Rongelap evacuation
The arrival of the Rainbow Warrior marks 40 years since Greenpeace crew evacuated over 300 people from the Rongelap atoll to Mejatto island, after toxic nuclear fallout from the Castle Bravo test rendered their ancestral lands uninhabitable.
-
On Marshall Islands Remembrance Day, Greenpeace calls for nuclear justice and reparations from the United States
“Today on Remembrance Day the trauma of Bravo continues for the remaining survivors and their descendents — this is a legacy not only of suffering, loss, and frustration, but also of strength, unity, and unwavering commitment to justice, truth and accountability.”
The Boat and the Bomb
On the night of 10 July 1985, the blasts of two limpet mines placed by French secret agents sank a ship protesting against nuclear testing in the Pacific and took the life of onboard photographer Fernando Pereira.
This film captures the events leading up to the explosions, as well as the aftermath of what was deemed internationally to be a state-sponsored criminal act of sabotage. As details of the plot – implicating the highest level of the French government – were revealed, waves of outrage rippled across the globe. It fueled the debate about nuclear weapons testing which eventually culminated in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996.