You can't sink a rainbow

Twenty years ago today, a team of French saboteurs committed the only act of international terrorism to strike New Zealand, bombing the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior and killing cameraman Fernando Pereira. Two of the team were caught and plead guilty to manslaughter, but due to arm-twisting by the French, the government was forced to transfer them to French custody. They were quickly released, and have since been promoted. The rest of the terrorists were never caught.

The bombing was intended to prevent anti-nuclear protests at Moruroa. It didn't. The protests went on as planned, and rather than discouraging the anti-nuclear movement, the bombing inspired them. They could sink the ship, and murder a crewmember, but the idea of a nuclear-free Pacific was stronger than ever.

As for the Rainbow Warrior, it is now a diver's reef at Matauri bay in Northland. But a new Greenpeace ship bears the name, and continues the work. You can sink a ship - but you can't sink a rainbow.