Report by Sean Morris, UK & Ireland Mayors for Peace Chapter Secretary
UK and Ireland members of Mayors for Peace commemorated the 74th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic weapon attacks with a number of wide-ranging commemorative events.
Lead City Manchester held a commemorative event in Manchester Museum, close to a Hiroshima exhibit in its Living Worlds Gallery. The Lord Mayor of Manchester led a minute’s silence and unveiled a peace wreath for all civilians killed by war or terrorism from August 6th 1945 to the present day. The Council’s permanent Mayors for Peace representative Councillor Eddy Newman read out the Hiroshima Peace Declaration. Poems were also read by the likes of the Vice President for Social Responsibility at Manchester University, the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, as well as multi-faith and peace group leaders. An origami workshop for children and their families to fold peace cranes was held after the service.
Many other events were held around the country including commemoration events in the likes of London, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Cardiff. In Bradford, a peace parade and festival was held in Lister Park. Winchester held an official ceremony, following on shortly after the Council’s Cabinet decision to join Mayors for Peace. The UK & Ireland Mayors for Peace Secretariat welcome the range and amount of events that took place.
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| Lord Mayor of Manchester offering a peace wreath | Lord Mayor of Winchester with paper cranes | |
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| Event in Liverpool | ||
| (Photos courtesy of the UK & Ireland Chapter) | ||