On 6 August, outside Sheffield City Hall, Lord Mayor Jayne Dunn joined in a commemoration marking the 79th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, organised by Sheffield Creative Action for Peace (SCRAP). Not only were thousands killed and the cities destroyed, but nuclear contamination continues to poison the environment and adversely affect people’s health today.
The Lord Mayor spoke of being part of the international network, Mayors for Peace, which campaigns for the abolition of nuclear weapons as well as striving to solve vital problems for the human race such as starvation and poverty, the plight of refugees, human rights abuses, and environmental degradation.
Part of the Mayor of Hiroshima’s Peace Declaration was read out, in which he quotes one of the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors): “Now is the time to turn the tide of history, to get beyond the hatreds of the past, uniting beyond differences of race and nationality to turn distrust into trust, hatred into reconciliation, and conflict into harmony.” This uplifting sentiment was written by a man who, as a 14-year-old boy, saw scenes from a living hell … Let us not be resigned to pessimism about the chaotic world situation. Instead, let us be as determined as our forebears, and, united as one, with hope in our hearts, take collective action. Our unity will move leaders now relying on nuclear deterrence to shift their policies. We could make this happen.’
The City Hall steps were decorated with a string of pennants, one of several created by SCRAP, each pennant decorated with the name of a country that has ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Under this treaty, which became law in 2021, nuclear weapons are now illegal. Sadly, the UK has so far refused to engage with it.
Two of Sheffield’s MPs signed the parliamentary pledge in support of the Treaty, Louise Haigh and Olivia Blake. There is also an Early Day Motion that, so far, only 20 MPs have signed. This does not include any Sheffield MPs, so please write to your MP and ask them to support the EDM and the Parliamentary Pledge if they haven’t done so already.
SCRAP is working to encourage Sheffield City Council to join Leeds, Manchester and Leicester in passing a resolution in support of the Treaty. Sheffield has a proud history of being a Nuclear Free Zone which it declared in 1981, but this came to an end in 2001 when the Council was in no overall control. Please write to your Councillors and ask them to pass a motion in support of the Nuclear Free Proliferation Treaty.
An added dimension to this year’s ceremony was the presence of the Coat of Hopes, stopping off in Sheffield on its (so far) 1,000-mile journey around the country. I was privileged to wear this when I was in York earlier this year. Made up of patches created by hundreds of people, it carries their griefs and hopes in the face of climate and ecological breakdown. A ‘peace’ patch, made by members of SCRAP was cut in two, one half sewn into the Coat of Hopes and the other sewn onto SCRAP’s Cloak of Peace, an ongoing project for use in peace campaigning.
The ceremony was enlivened by Sheffield’s Choir for Peace who sang peace songs including one specially written for Hiroshima Day.
‘The threat of use of nuclear weapons is very real,’ said the Lord Mayor, ‘but we can work together to raise awareness, promote cooperation and understanding, and do our best to ensure that devastation like that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki never happens again.’
Christian CND have outlined the environmental impacts of nuclear weapons.
“At every stage in their manufacture, transport or storage, radiation is released into the environment. There is no safe level of radiation. Governments lay down ‘permissible levels’, the level at which society and the economy can cope with the extra cases of cancer or birth defects caused by damage to the human body.
First the Uranium has to be mined. It is the only natural radioactive element and the raw material for the manufacture of nuclear warheads. Most deposits of uranium ore are found where indigenous people live. The exploitation of these people in Indian lands in USA and Canada, Aboriginal lands in Australia, and areas of southern Africa have been disgraceful. Not only have some of these populations been displaced to make way for mining operations, but workers have been employed in ‘slave labour’ conditions which have resulted in damage to their health and a much reduced lifespan.
Splitting the uranium atoms in nuclear reactors releases energy which can be used to make steam to drive turbines. It also changes some of the uranium atoms into plutonium, a highly fissile man-made element which is one of the materials used in nuclear warheads. These warheads are made in AWE Aldermaston or nearby Burghfield and then taken by road to be placed in the Trident submarines in Faslane in Scotland. Sheffield manufactures many of the components for Trident at Forgemasters.
All these processes result in the creation of nuclear waste which must be stored for many years, sometimes thousands, before it is safe.”
Meanwhile, in Japan the UK is boycotting the August 9th Nagasaki memorial, because Israel have not been invited due to the Genocide they are committing in Gaza. What a shameful thing to do.
People of my age will be very familiar with the film Threads, made back in 1984 and set in Sheffield which is attacked with a nuclear bomb. Younger readers may not have seen it yet. It’s available on Prime (not that I would advocate you supporting Amazon!) but if you already have a subscription, it is really worth a watch. Some people have said it’s the scariest film they have ever watched! Its also fascinating to see what Sheffield looked like back in the 80’s.
Here is the trailer.
If this film doesn’t want to make you campaign against Nuclear Weapons, nothing will!
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