ON August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, followed three days later by another on Nagasaki.

Estimated casualties were 140,000 killed at Hiroshima and 74,000 at Nagasaki with similar numbers injured, almost half the total population of the 2 cities. The survivors of the bombing – the hibakusha – had to live for the rest of their lives with the risk of contracting cancer from the radiation and the genetic damage was passed on to later generations.

Every year Bolton CND / Stop the War group mark these horrific events. On Monday the Bolton news reported on the unveiling of a memorial plaque on Bolton Town Hall Square to the Peace campaigner Bertie Lewis, who was a regular attender at these memorial vigils. This year, we will hold a silent vigil at the War Memorial opposite Bolton Town Hall from 12.30 to 1pm on Saturday, August 8. At 12.15 Malcolm Pittock will give a short explanation of what we are doing and why and call for five minutes silence by those attending the Costa Austerity event organised by the People’s Assembly in front of the Town Hall. Please join us.

The UK now has 225 nuclear weapons and each has about nine times the destructive power of the Hiroshima Bomb. The UK also has the fourth largest military budget in the world and plans to spend £100 billion on Trident Renewal in the next 40 years, despite its obligation under the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty to work towards divesting itself of all nuclear weapons. We call for the unconditional decommissioning of Trident as a contribution to the NPT.

In order to reduce the risk that nuclear weapons will be used again, it is vital to unequivocally support the Non Proliferation Treaty and to be fully committed to further negotiations towards nuclear disarmament.

Barry Mills

Joint Secretary

Bolton CND/Stop the War Group