Report by Mr. Richard Outram, the City of Manchester, UK
On Friday 9 August, a very poignant ceremony was hosted in beautiful Heaton Park, Manchester. Peace activists were joined by the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Paul Andrews to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the second atomic bombing of the Japanese port city of Nagasaki.
As an Executive and Vice-Presidential city, Manchester had already again hosted an event in the city centre Peace Garden to mark the anniversary of the Hiroshima attack three days earlier.
The event in Heaton Park reinstated the annual events held there before their suspension during the Covid pandemic. The location was particularly symbolic as it took place next to the ginkgo survivor tree planted on the UN International Day of Peace, 21 September 2023.
Participants heard about Nagasaki as a Catholic city. They also listened to testimonies from Nagasaki hibakusha, poems from the Bard of Bury, Chris Bainbridge, and songs performed by members of the Bolton Clarion Choir. Councillor Tommy Judge also read the Nagasaki Peace Declaration. The Lord Mayor laid white flowers, with a minute’s silence observed in remembrance of the victims. 27 people attended this event. 45 people attended the Hiroshima Day event. It is intended the two events occur again next year.
Photos: courtesy of the City of Manchester