Cromarty campaigners to remember thousands killed by atomic bomb as 75th anniversary of devastating drops marked; Hiroshima and Nagasaki deaths prompt acts of remembrance on Black Isle
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THE coronavirus crisis that has turned the world upside down is nothing compared to the suffering that would be inflicted by an avoidable nuclear catastrophe, say campaigners on the Black Isle ahead of an historic milestone.
The impending 75th anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which dovetails with the end of the Second World War, will be marked at a poignant event in Cromarty next week.
"The Covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise but together we are working to meet the challenge.It is as nothing to what would happen in the event of a nuclear conflict, which would kill millions of people and destroy swathes of the planet."
At a time of turmoil, members of the Cromarty Peace Group will remember the thousands killed by the bombs and spotlight the presence of nuclear weapons in Scotland and beyond capable of causing "catastrophic humanitarian consequences".
Judith McDonald, a long-standing member of the group, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise but together we are working to meet the challenge.It is as nothing to what would happen in the event of a nuclear conflict, which would kill millions of people and destroy swathes of the planet. We know what could happen and we have the power to prevent it."
Along with other events being held across the world, the Cromarty Peace Group is holding a socially distanced commemorative event at 4pm on Thursday, August 6 at Cromarty Harbour. It will include readings, an act of remembrance and a bagpipe lament.
By the end of 1945, up to 140,000 inhabitants of Hiroshima and 70,000 inhabitants of Nagasaki had died in horrific circumstances. Most died immediately but others died over the following weeks, months and even years from the effects of radiation. The survivors of these attacks are now elderly and are speaking out in an effort to make sure that the world doesn’t forget.
There are currently over 13,000 nuclear weapons in the world, about a quarter of which are deployed. 120 of these deployed weapons are held by the UK and based at HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane. Sooner or later they will be used, either by accident or intent.
In 2017 the UN adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Later that year the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its ground breaking work to “draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons”.
Related: Campaigner hails Nobel prize for peace drive
