Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament to host Hiroshima Memorial Day in Aberdeen

By Cameron Roy

August 5 2022, 12:09 pm

The north-east CND Scotland group will be holding a Hiroshima Memorial event. Supplied by Jonathan Russell.

An annual event to mark Hiroshima Memorial Day will be held in Aberdeen tomorrow.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) host the commemoration event outside Marischal College.

It will commemorate the 200,000 people who died from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings in WWII.

The Give Peace a Chance will run from 2pm-4pm. In attendance will be Yu Aoki, who was born in Hiroshima and is now an economics lecturer at the University of Aberdeen.

Local musicians such as Iona Macdonald, Charlie Able, Kirsty Pots, and Melting Pot will perform.

Campaigners will be singing songs at the service. Supplied by Jonathan Russell.

CND north-east Scotland chairman Jonathan Russell said: “The war in Ukraine means our message is even more important.

“The present trajectory has to change in favour of a world where negotiations and treaties are the norm – not warfare.”

Petition to Aberdeen City Council

Currently, the group is in the process of getting signatures on a petition which supports the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

It plans on completely eliminating nuclear weapons from the world. It has been signed so far by 86 countries.

The group will be submitting the petition to Aberdeen City Council after they reach the required 100 signatures mark.

Mr Russell said: “We are halfway to that point, but we hope to get more on the day.

“More people have been joining groups like CND since the war started.

“My argument would be that if there was a nuclear war, if you hold nuclear weapons, you’re going to be a target.”

Jonathan Russell at last year’s service. Supplied by Jonathan Russell.

Currently, the only party in Scotland to support disarmament is the Scottish Greens.

The SNP supports the removal of Trident but wants to remain in NATO – a nuclear alliance. Mr Russell believes this is a “contradiction” and that the policy of CND is to leave NATO.

At last year’s memorial, members created peace symbols out of flowers and laid them on the ground.

At the end of the event, everyone will sing John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” led by John Montgomery and the Mearns and Devron.

To get involved, follow the group on social media or come down to the memorial.