From 6th to 9th August TP members organised events to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and to call for an end to nuclear weapons. This year due to Covid there were a number of more local activities and some TP members joined with other peace groups in their area for events. Some people took part in the International Fast over the four days.
All these events together with many others across the world and a lot of online meetings, vigils, film showings and webinars again reminded people that the threat posed by the continuation of possessing nuclear weapons is still with us. Links were made with the Climate and Ecological Crisis and the much more useful things that could be done with the vast resources poured into the nuclear industry pointed out. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was highlighted and we were encouraged to hear of four more ratifications to the treaty during this period Ireland, Nigeria, Niue and Saint Kitts and Nevis bringing the total to 44. This means only 6 more ratifications needed before the nuclear ban treaty enters into force.
Bristol
Rowland, Chris and supporters of Trident Ploughshares joined with Bristol CND and XR Peace in Castle Park, close to the Peace Cherry tree at 8.0am on Hiroshima Day 6th August to remember those who died and were severely injured by the nuclear bomb. At 8.15am the time the bomb was dropped a siren was sounded and people symbolically died. Some fasted the four days between Hiroshima and Nagasaki days 9th August. There was another die in on 9th
They managed to do a banner drop along the full length of Finzels Reach Bridge making it the longest banner drop in Bristol.
A presence with two literature stalls and several striking large banners was maintained in this busy park for four days. Discussion workshops on the nuclear and arms industries were held on the grass. In the evening there were relevant films including the classic Dr Strangelove shown to the public in the park.
Commemorating the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, Castle Park, Bristol, August 2020. Photo credit: Simon Holliday / simonholliday.com
On Friday 7th August a few people went up to Filton Abbey Wood where the MOD’s Defence Procurement Office is and close to where most of the major arms manufacturers have premises including Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Airbus, Babcock International, Leonardo, MBDA, Qinetiq and Raytheon. This was at 3.30pm. Arms workers seem to leave work early. They held a large banner showing the two way relationship between war and climate chaos on the roundabout close to the MODs main entrance and had neck placards and leaflets giving information about alternative green employment addressed to workers in the arms industry moved to look for alternative employment. They got several hoots and waves of support from motorists.
(see pdf for full story and lots of pictures)
Plymouth
On 6th August the Plymouth Trident Ploughshares group, Dagmar, Michal and other Tamarians , dropped 4 banners from bridges before 8am. It rained a lot at the opening ceremony at the “jigsaw Gardens”, so they quickly moved on to the “Sundial”, a popular meeting point in the city centre. The sundial itself was fenced off, so they used this as a canvas to hang banners. They took shelter at a derelict shop front, and set up the stall. To respond to Covid they: kept their distance, offered people to help themselves to leaflets from various trays, alternatively, offered leaflets with an extended arm, which was a litter picker, they had masks on and disinfectant and gloves on the table.
On 7th Aug the group again set up at the same spot in the city centre & decorated it with banners.There was music and singalongs and other participatory engagement with passers by. Some volunteered to “die“ (lie down) and others outlined the shape of their bodies.
On 9th Aug they met at the Royal William Yard, an ex-navy base. They hung banners, but were quickly asked to leave by a security man so they paraded their banner slowly along the alfresco restaurant diners, and set up outside the gate of the base.After relaxing in the sun for a few hours, they finished with a ceremony – sadly without hugs.
(see pdf for full story and lots of pictures)
Knighton
As part of Trident Ploughshares and XR Peace, 2 women (Angie Zelter and Lyn Gardenchild), fasted over 4 days to grieve and commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They prepared 4 exhibition boards with information about the bombings, the 9 nuclear weapon states, the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, XR Peace and the impact of the military on climate chaos. On each of the 4 days the boards, banners, and tables for leaflets and crane making were set up at 7.30 a.m. and then taken down at 6 p.m. Social distancing was adhered to although family clusters were closer. More than 50 different people visited the fast to view the exhibition, take part in the workshops or play music. Some people attending fasted for a day or missed a meal in solidarity and £188.80 was raised for the Knighton Food Bank.
The opening ceremony on Thursday 6th August at 8,15 a.m. was attended by around 13 people and there were readings from the Hiroshima Hibakusha and a bell from Hiroshima was rung. There was music and white poppy knitting followed by a workshop entitled ‘Is there any real hope for peace?’ and Prayers for Peace with several local ministers. The atmosphere of the fast was lovely, calm and welcoming. At 3 p.m. Penny Rosenthal led a workshop on Maslow’s pyramid on the constituents of security and people joined in making themselves heard even over the very loud traffic noises.
Friday 7th August found the knitters fast at work accompanied by more music. The morning workshop led by John Goodband was fairly technical and explored the peaceful uses of radiation in cancer treatment, ending with a plea for just a fraction of the money spent on Trident to pay for more healing equipment. The afternoon workshop led by Angie Zelter was on the impact of climate change on our security.
Shadows were chalked on the ground – many people were unfamiliar with this tradition that symbolizes the shadows found on pavements in Hiroshima – the only remains of the people burnt into the ground by the heat of the explosion.
Saturday 8th August the peace crane making started really early and 3 strings of cranes were hung in the branches of the pin oak that was scattering us with beautiful flattened acorns. Rev. Petra Goodband then gave a workshop giving us an insight into what a variety of different faiths said about nuclear weapons. Most outlawed indiscriminate weapons that killed civilians.
The afternoon workshop, led by Nandita Dowson on the Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands was very informative and lively and engendered much discussion.
Nagasaki day, 9th August, began quietly with Camilla (on accordion) and Chris (on flute).
11.01 a.m. began with John drumming.
About 16 people gathered in a socially distanced circle to hear about the Nagasaki tragedy, a song was sung, a poem read, tears were shed.
But the good news was shared that 4 more counties have ratified the TPNW and only another 6 more are needed for the Treaty to come into force.
We ended with a socially distanced group hug.
See pdf for full story and photos
Luton
In Luton on Hiroshima Day, Lyn was joined by 2 adults and 2 children, in St George’s Sq. There is foot flow across the Square to the Mall shopping centre and then from the library to the high street but not crowded. They each had 2 A4 landscape cards to hold and were all socially distanced. Other cards were laid on a long stone wall running along one side.
On Nagasaki day there were people were in St Georges Square again with lots of tiny origami cranes on a long thread attached to 3 bean canes. These were then propped around Lyns bike. Again they were socially distanced and all those who helped that day wore masks. We stayed about an hour and a quarter as no shade and it was very hot. They met a very interesting peace activist from Sri Lanka.
It was felt people could take photos of the cards if interested as they we weren’t giving out leaflets at all. The participants felt they were quite visible to those passing by and it was important to make the connections about how the government plan for nuclear war not pandemics and are continuing to do so instead of boosting the NHS and working towards a green recovery.
London
Marc who is involved with the International Fast set up a “stall” outside the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall for three days from the 6th to the 8th, and had the most welcome visits and support of perhaps 6 to 8 TP or CND members or friends of our movements, as well as a few personal friends/contacts.
The target “audience” in our customary spot is a mix of Civil Servants – in particular of course from the MoD itself- and tourists, particularly when we are there in sufficient numbers to pay a visit to Downing Street, and stage our colourful die-ins/bubble-blowing sessions there.
That wasn’t possible this year, and the virus, the heat – plus partially its being the weekend – kept many civil servants and tourists away. Nevertheless he had one or two very courteous discussions with open-minded civil servants, and with tourists and others to whom, wearing masks and gloves, he handed out leaflets.
He also had the visit of the friendly MoD and metropolitan police and he certainly maintained our right to fast outside the MoD, on the basis of precedence, an argument which all accepted, particularly those who remembered us from previous year.
Marc fasted throughout, breaking his fast after Quaker meeting at midday on Sunday. He greatly enjoyed the Zoom sessions with fasters from many different countries in the evenings.
Glasgow
The Glasgow Horticulturalists affinity had a one hour socially distanced silent vigil in George Square in Glasgow. They purposely did not hand out leaflets nor get any petitions signed. In turns they spoke to people who approached them. An English contingent did a beautiful lantern float on the Tyne.
Brian Q fasted from 6th to 9th and joined Glasgow CND and at the peace tree in Kelvingrove park on the 6th. There were poetry readings, a few speeches and some singing.
On the 9th he joined the Catholic Worker vigil at Faslane and went to the Peace Camp to end the fast at noon with a wee ritual at the Japanese cherry tree planted in the camp by a survivor of Hiroshima in 1986.
Malpas
Joan who is now ninety can no longer go to Chester to the ceremony by the River Dee so demonstrated by herself with some support in her small village of Malpas.
Oxford
Sarah joined more than 30 people to remember Nagasaki on the 9th.
A number of Greens came, one the Lord Mayor, who spoke well. They also heard from two poets Dave Chanter was specially moving and Cllr John Tanner who has been very active in getting the Council to support the TPNW. The songs were strongly for peace and two very moving musicians played for us. Altogether it was definitely a moving event.
Edinburgh
Gillean joined 6 other members of Protest in Harmony in South West Edinburgh on the Union Canal path at Harrison Park on Aug 9th to commemorate the bombing of Nagasaki.
Folk hung a banner from the Polwarth Bridge and there were other very striking and visible banners, flowers for floating in the canal, posters and an information table with leaflets. Verbally they explained to pedestrians and cyclists on the canal towpath, and also invited folk to float flowers on the canal. Individuals, couples, families with children and nearby canoeists seemed interested and had conversations.