What ship did Macron encounter in Brazil?

Macron encountered the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior during his visit to Brazil ahead of COP30.

What happened to the original Rainbow Warrior ship?

The original Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace vessel, was sunk by French intelligence agents in 1985.

What was the purpose of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior ship in the 1980s?

The original Rainbow Warrior was on an activist journey to meet with the peoples of the Marshall Islands and reach the atolls of Mururoa and Fangataufa, where France was conducting nuclear experiments.

Home / Environment / Macron Confronts Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior in Brazil Ahead of COP30

Macron Confronts Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior in Brazil Ahead of COP30

9 Nov

•

Summary

Macron visited a French-Brazilian scientific project in Belem, Brazil
Greenpeace activists displayed a "Macron: good cop or bad cop?" banner on their Rainbow Warrior ship
The original Rainbow Warrior was sunk by French intelligence agents in 1985

Macron Confronts Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior in Brazil Ahead of COP30

In November 2025, ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties on climate change (COP30), French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Belem, Brazil. During his visit, Macron toured one of the boats from the "Iaraçu" river caravan, a French-Brazilian scientific project moored on the Rio Guamá south of the city.

Just a short distance away, Greenpeace activists had displayed a banner on their vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, reading "Macron: good cop or bad cop?" The iconic ship's name was emblazoned in large white letters on its stern. However, Macron did not approach the green ship with the long rainbow, as those colors likely brought back bitter memories for French authorities.