Greenpeace ship, MV Esperanza leaving Cherbourg harbour with Greenpeace sailing vessel Akela close by, Cherbourg, France. Greenpeace protests against the arrival of a shipment of 140kg of weapons-grade plutonium that has just arrived from Los Alamos ( USA) via several locations on a UK-flagged commercial nuclear cargo ship, the Pacific Pintail. Greenpeace believes the shipment unnecessary and highly vulnerable to accidents or deliberate attack.