Peace Gathering to Commemorate the 74th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Monday, August 5 from noon until 1:00 p.m.
In front of the Consulate General of Japan in New York – 299 Park Avenue (at 48th Street)
Veterans for Peace-Chapter 34 (NYC), Brooklyn For Peace, Pax Christi Metro NY, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Peace Action Fund of New York State, Ribbon International, Granny Peace Brigade, Hibakusha Stories/Youth Arts New York, Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York, Peace Boat US, Filthy Rotten System, and Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World present a peace gathering to commemorate the 74th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
74 years have passed since the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is estimated that the bombs have killed 210,000 citizens by the end of 1945, and have ruined the health of many of the survivors over the years. The average age of the Hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors, is now over 82 years old, and many of them are still suffering from terrible health issues. To honor the memory of those who were killed by the atomic bombings, a coalition of citizens and peace activists will gather in front of the Consulate General of Japan in New York.
The coalition supports the commitment of the Japanese people to protect their peace constitution by retaining Article 9. It encourages them in their continued opposition to Japan’s reliance on the U.S.-Japan military alliance and the U.S. nuclear umbrella. The coalition’s conviction is that nuclear weapons must never be used again against any nation under any circumstances. The message of peace from Hibakusha to the people of the world is an appeal for all to realize a world free of nuclear weapons.
Article 9 of Japanese Constitution:
(1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
(2) To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
Introduction clause of Japanese Constitution:
All peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.