© The Associated Press/Itsuo Inouye
Anti-nuclear protesters stage a rally in Hiroshima, western Japan, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. Hiroshima marked the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing Monday. A banner, third right, reads "Osprey and nuclear plants are unnecessary."
Anti-nuclear protesters stage a rally in Hiroshima, western Japan, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. Hiroshima marked the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing Monday. A banner, third right, reads "Osprey and nuclear plants are unnecessary."
About 50,000 people gathered in Hiroshima's peace park near the epicenter of the 1945 blast that destroyed most of the city and killed as many as 140,000 people. A second atomic bombing Aug. 9 that year in Nagasaki killed tens of thousands more and prompted Japan to surrender to the World War II Allies.
The ceremony, attended by representatives of about 70 countries, began with the ringing of a temple bell and a moment of silence. Flowers were placed before Hiroshima's eternal flame, which is the park's centerpiece.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said Japan must take a bolder role in leading global disarmament efforts and called on world leaders to come to his city to "contemplate peace."
He also said the nuclear accident at Fukushima last year has shown the dangers of nuclear technology, even for peaceful purposes, and urged the government to create a mix of energy sources for Japan that is safe and secure.
Comment: While millions of children in the good old U.S.A are living in destitution, Congress voted for a $604.5 billion defense budget for next year and to fund more ships, cargo plans and drones that the military doesn't even want. How long will people of conscience stand around and do nothing?