page 2, December 8, 1976 - North Shore News

by Peter Speck

I first met and interviewed David McTaggart in
the spring of 1974. He had just returned from the
South Pacific, and he showed few signs of his
beating at the hands.of the French navy - except
for his eye, which had a greatly enlarged pupil. It
had been injured by a French sailor, who poked his
truncheon in it as he and his comrades beat
McTaggart and McTaggart’s navigator into

unconsciousness.

McTaggart has been involved .in two separate
incidents, a year apart, with the French navy.
They are history now in Canada, but they are still
actively before the courts in France, Greenpeace
president and former Vancouver Sun columnist
Bob Hunter has just returned: from two months in
Wales, researching and writing about McTaggart

and his fight for justice -

seem to give a damn.

Let me fill you in on the
story so far. McTaggart, a
building contractor living on
the North Shore, made some
money contracting. He has

an active social conscience

in a world that doesn’t

and is opposed to the
atmospheric testing of nu-
clear weapons. His position
is that contamination of the

atmosphere by the detona- .

tion of devices that produce

radioactive waste is insane.
He’s not the only person that
feels that way, but he’s one
of the few people that I know
of who have actively tried to
do something about it.

The French were conduct-
ing their atomic detonations
on Mururoa Atoll, in the
South Pacific, and McTag-
gart seized on one of the
most essential pieces of
international legislation in-
volved in the lunacy. That
was that the ‘tests’ were
taking place in international
waters. The French had
cordoned off 100,000 square
-miles of waters that did not
belong to France or any other
nation. McTaggart bought a
ketch in New Zealand, -the
Vega, and set sail for the test
area in a bid to. bring this

flagrant violation of inter- |
national rights to the atten- } ©

tion of the world.
es
On the first voyage,
the Vega was deliberately

rammed by the French
minesweeper La Paimpo-
laise.

On the second voyage, a
year later, came the infam-
ous boarding incident in
which seven burly French
marines, armed with knives
and truncheons, swarmed
aboard the Vega and beat
McTaggart and his navigator
Nigel Ingram into uncon-
sciousness. —

Two girls who were aboard

the Permanent

special Yuletide offer Dec. 8th- 24th

wooden cased, magnetic chess set to
anyone who opens a new chequing or
Savings account during the above
period with a minimum deposit of
$25.00

(one bonus per person please)

the Vega, Anne-Marie Horne
‘and Mary Lornie, filmed the
entire incident. One was in
the bow and the other in the
stern of the ketch. When the
marines had WMcT¥apgart
bloody and unconscious in
the bottom of their Zodiac
and had beaten Nigel Ingram
to- the floor of the cockpit
they went for the girl in the
stern of the Vega and threw
her movie camera overboard.

SR SARS eae LET RG Ee SS SAS Ses SIS
FRENCH SAILORS {above} hitting McTaggart and forcing
him over the side. Below, McTaggart unconscious in rubber
dinghy, as assailants spot girl crew member with movie
Photos from McTaggart’s book ‘‘Outrage.”

free

to anyone who buys a new debenture
or guaranteed investment certificate

with a minimum = investment of
$1,000.00.

(ane per person please)
They then went after the

girl in the bow, who, showing
great presence of mind,
jumped down the forehatch
and locked it after herself. .
The marines broke the hatch
open, but it gave her a few
seconds to remove the
exposed film and secrete it
on her body. She replaced
the film, and when the
attackers finally got the
camera they assumed that
they had the right film and
they threw away as well. The
incidents shown on this page
are from that film.

At the Permanent, most financial
services are freo of service charges to
people of all ages.

VERIFIED CIRCULATION 46,000

We have extended hours for late
| 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 284 |

_ shoppors all yoar round:

Mon. - Wed. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
. Thurs.-Fri.: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
OFFICE/NEWS: (604) 980-0511 ; ; ; . Saturday 10:00 a.m. ~ 2:00 p.m.
CLASSIFIED: 980-3464 CIRCULATION: 986-1337 The nub of the issue is that

the ramming incident and
the boarding both happencd
in international waters. Mc-
Taggart, a Canadian citizen,
had every right to be where
he was. His ketch was flying
the Canadian flag.

Ivor McClelland and his staff look
Publisher Peter Speck forward to their first Christmas on the
North Shoro and oxtend hoartiost
compliments of tho season to all thoir

customors, friends and neighbours.

Associate Publisher Bob Graham/Managing Editor

Noel Wright/News Guillermo Lam/Photos Ells-
worth Dickson/Prodaction Marna Leiren/Advertia-
ing Kristi Vidier/Clasaified Berni Hilliard/Circala- }
; tion Yvonne Chapman/Admalnistration | Barbara Wipe dees . ‘
. Haywood/ Accounts Sylvia Sorensen.

The - Canadian = govern-
ment, despite pleas from
McTaggart, has done no-
thing about this outrage.
And It Is an outrage.

' North Shore Newa, founded in 1969 as an
. independent community newspaper: and
registered under Part 111, Schedule 111,
Paragraph. 111 of the Customs and Excise Act,
is published cach Wednesday by the North
Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every
door on the North Shore. .

Class Mall Registration Number; 3885.

Secon
ARE SPREE ERS Ms ENT

‘Merry Christmas

The Canadian government
paid $12,000 to have the].
{damaged Vega shipped back
‘ ito Vanequyer- '~ -,09,-,they f.',

Oe ee PEP o OO we OOD

continacd on page 26

&. the Permanent

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