Sunday, August 03, 2014

Sydney: Hiroshima Day March and Rally 2014


Hiroshima Never Again! 

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, incinerating 140,000 men, women and children. On August 9, a second American atomic bomb killed 74,000 men, women and children in Nagasaki. Thousands more have died since then as victims of radiation from the bombs. This must never happen again 

Wars create refugees 

War in Sri Lanka – Sri Lankan refugees arrive in Australia. War in Afghanistan – Afghan refugees arrive in Australia. And now wars are raging in Iraq and Syria and refugees from those places are already arriving in Australia. Wars create refugees always has done and will do so into the future. 

Each August since 1945 we remember the terrible weapons dropped on the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and we pause to reflect on the devastation of war and to resolve again to insist: 

No more war 

The Japanese people after WW2 adopted a pacifist constitution. The Japanese Government in 2014 has watered the Constitution down, allowing Japanese soldiers to fight overseas. The US and Australian Governments have welcomed this aggressive and dangerous step. 

War is destructive and so too are preparations for war which rob people of resources which could go to health, welfare, education. 


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