The Guardian
Monday 13 June 2016
The high security fence of the Burghfield site of the Atomic Weapons Establishment is no place for tiny origami cranes, protesters have been told. Photograph: Martin Godwin for the Guardian
I have just returned from a peace camp at AWE Burghfield, near Reading, where actions are taking place throughout June in protest at the government’s intention to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system (Report, 8 June). Ministry of Defence police have generally been friendly and restrained, but there is one remarkable sticking point – they don’t like paper cranes.
The story of the paper crane and its significance for the anti-nuclear movement is poignant. Sadako Sasaki survived the bombing of Hiroshima, but developed leukaemia 10 years later. Her hospital room-mate told her of the Japanese legend that whoever makes 1,000 origami paper cranes will be granted a wish. Sadako decided to do this before she died, aged 12. Her wish was for world peace.
MoD police, however, are not moved by this story. We were variously told that the tiny paper cranes, when attached to the fence, were a health and safety risk, or defacement – or simply not wanted. They took some off themselves. Instead of renewing Trident at huge cost, we should be phasing out all nuclear weapons. This is the lesson of Hiroshima and Sadako Sasaki’s peace message of paper cranes.
Camilla Saunders
Knighton, Powys
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