Peace activists mark Hiroshima attack

Thousands of peace activists marched through Hiroshima today to mark the 60th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack in Japan, calling for a global ban on nuclear weapons.

The march to the World Conference Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs was one of dozens of events being held there ahead of Saturday’s anniversary, when more than 50,000 people are expected to gather in Peace Memorial Park for a moment of silence at 8.15am.

At that time on August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb that exploded over Hiroshima, obliterating the centre of the city and killing at least 140,000 people. Three days later, Bock’s Car dropped a bomb on Nagasaki, killing another 80,000.

Japan surrendered to the US, bringing the Second World War to a close, on August 15.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is expected to attend Saturday’s memorial. Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, an outspoken opponent of US President George Bush, is the main speaker, and was expected to make a plea for the US and other nuclear powers to abolish their arsenals.

Today about 8,000 people, including several hundred activists from 29 countries, attended a conference, the biggest pre-anniversary event. Roughly 2,000 activists joined in the march beforehand.

Though the world conference, which is held each year, is sponsored primarily by leftist or labour groups, it has a broad appeal within the Japanese population. The organisers have collected 8.5 million signatures for a nuclear ban.