On July 8, the Mayors for Peace flag was hoisted in front of many town halls in over 300 German cities. The Flag Day, an annual initiative by German members of Mayors for Peace since 2012, is a reminder of a legal opinion handed down by the International Court of Justice on July 8th, 1996, concluding that even the threat of using nuclear weapons is an offence against international law. Flying the flag on this day signifies opposition to nuclear weapons and hope for a peaceful world.
On the occasion of the event, Thomas Hermann, Deputy Mayor of Hannover, a Vice-President City of Mayors for Peace and the Lead City of the German Chapter, has issued a comment: “We know that the nuclear-armed states are modernizing their arsenals. Nuclear weapons are once again playing a greater role in national security strategies. This is a disturbing development.” There is also a growing concern over the denunciation of the nuclear agreement with Iran by the USA as well as the increasingly probable termination of the INF Treaty.
At the event in Hannover, the guests watched the film “On a Paper Crane” and were invited to fold their own paper cranes, as this is a symbol of hope and healing during challenging times.
>Related story on the German Mayors for Peace website in German
(Photo Courtesy of the City of Hannover)