Apology demanded for Rainbow Warrior comment

A prominent British politician today said he deeply regretted that a man had died when the French sank the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour in 1985.

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Godfrey Bloom was filmed at last year's climate change summit in Copenhagen posing next to the organisation's new flagship boat, Rainbow Warrior II, criticising the group's "junk science" use in regards to the environment.

In the footage, he said: "Here we have one of the most, most truly fascist boats since 1945.

"Well done the French for sinking (the boat).

"Viva la France."

But Mr Bloom yesterday said he had forgotten Dutch photographer Fernando Pereira was killed in the 1985 incident and French secret service agents were convicted of manslaughter after the bombing, the Guardian newspaper reported.

When asked whether he regretted his statements given the death of Mr Pereira in the bombing, Mr Bloom first said he did not know a man had been killed, then said he had forgotten.

Today Mr Bloom told Radio New Zealand he did not think Mr Pereira's death was something to celebrate.

"I am very very sorry, my belated deep condolences to him and his family. I think it's a great shame that you lose any innocent lives in something like this, I deeply regret that," Mr Bloom said.

He said New Zealanders should understand how angry people in the UK were about people like Greenpeace.

"We've got no energy supply security now, we've got no nuclear energy," he said.

"The point now is we've had the Greens, the green eco-fascists as we call them up here, calling the shots now for nearly 30 years, and it brings me back to my point that they have a completely disproportionate view on modern democratically elected government."

He said Britain now had the most expensive energy in the world.

"We've got old age pensioners burning books for warmth," Mr Bloom said.

Greenpeace New Zealand campaign director Chris Harris told NZPA said it was "amazing" anyone could condone what was an act of state terrorism.

Mr Harris said it made no difference Mr Bloom had forgotten a man had died in the sinking of the ship.

"The fact that he got his facts wrong I don't think changes the situation.

"I don't think forgetting something like that's any sort of excuse or condones the remarks in any case."

He expected New Zealanders would want an apology from the MEP.

"Given the fact that it was the French trying to stop us working on an issue in our own backyard I would imagine pretty much everyone in New Zealand would want an apology over this."

Greenpeace International head of media Ben Stewart also demanded an apology from Mr Bloom.

"It's extremely upsetting to see this guy saying those things in front of the Warrior.

"Our dear colleague Fernando Pereira was murdered the day the French secret service planted that bomb," he said.

"It was an act of terror, pure and simple, and to see a member of the European Parliament lauding it is jaw-dropping."

Mr Bloom owed the crew of the Rainbow Warrior and the Pereira family an apology, he said.

"We can disagree about climate change without celebrating the killing of a man."

The video appeared to have been uploaded to Mr Bloom's YouTube channel Goddersvision on December 16 during the last days of the summit, but was later taken down.

However, the "politics magazine and discussion" blog Liberal Conspiracy obtained and uploaded a copy of the video to YouTube.

Last night Prime Minister John Key refused to wade into the stoush and said he had no comment on the matter.

- NZPA