Some 500 Greenpeace supporters commemorated Sunday in Paris the 20th anniversary of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior ship in New Zealand.

The demonstrators coming from about 15 countries sat or knelt in silence on the esplanade of the Trocadero, across the river Seine from the Eiffel Tower. They were wearing in rainbow colors to form the symbol and mark the event.

"We want to send a message of hope and an appeal for peace," said Yannick Jadot, head of French Greenpeace.

He called on "international leaders immediately to stop wasting astronomical sums on developing their atomic bombs" and devote " their resources to an action programme to promote peace, combat climate change, preserve forests and save the oceans."

A ship's bell tolled twice, at the time when the two mines placed in the boat exploded on July 10, 1985, rocking Auckland's Waitemata Harbour and killing photographer Fernando Pereira.

The bombs were allegedly planted by French agents, in response to Greenpeace's protests against the French nuclear testing programme in the Pacific.

Source: Xinhua