A SILENT vigil was held by Saddleworth Peace Group to mark 75 years since atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The event was held outside Uppermill Methodist Church on August 6, with members and supporters gathering with placards and posters to pay their respects.
Due to coronavirus guidance, participants observed social distancing and there were no readings or speeches as is customary at the annual event.
Instead, a silent vigil was held for 20 minutes before the event concluded with the reading of the Peace Group’s affirmation.
As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the bombings, a global Peace Wave was organised by the World Conference against atomic and hydrogen bombs.
The original Peace Wave was proposed at the 1987 World Conference as an international joint action which called for a total ban and elimination of nuclear weapons.
The Peace Wave enjoyed extensive support worldwide and was altogether held five times until 1991.
Now, the Peace Wave invited groups and individuals across the world to take part in a vigil or produce a creative form of action to bring calls for a nuclear weapon-free world onto a new stage.
Saddleworth Peace Group encouraged members to take their own ‘creative action’ by making a painting, sculpture, prose, poem or other creative item and posting it to social media #PeaceWaveSaddleworth.
I wonder how long their vigil would have been if the Allies had been forced to invade mainland Japan? It would have cost an estimated 30 million lives in troops and civilians.