Hiroshima commemoration at the Livermore Lab

 In Nuclear Weapons, Peace Action West News
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Activists spell out their stance on nuclear weapons.

This morning I joined a group of about 75 other activists to gather at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in commemoration of the 64th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Livermore lab is one of two labs in the country responsible for designing every nuclear warhead in the US arsenal. Even though the event was held very early in the day in order for us to be visible to those going to work, it was good to see a group of dedicated and concerned people gathering to remember the victims of nuclear weapons.

Our two speakers were Executive Director Marylia Kelley of Tri-Valley CAREs and Andrew Lichterman, a policy analyst, lawyer, and board member of Western States Legal Foundation. After hearing some excellent remarks from both of them, we all marched to the gates of the Livermore lab, where we were greeted by a group of riot police. Together we called for an end to nuclear weapons globally and militarization, and a reinvestment in social and economic development. 19 activists were arrested as they took a stand and refused to move from in front of the gate. I’ve posted some photos from the event online here.

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  • Bill Perry Jr.
    Reply

    It fills my heart with joy to know that there are people still engaged in the effort to prevent the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons. I was the former Public Relations Director for the Lab in the early 1980s and left to become involved in the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Movement of that day. It is wonderful that the baton in that fight has been handed off to you guys today. There is no cause in the world today that needs more attention and solid support than the effort to eliminate nuclear weapons. We the relatively small size of the globe today, there is absolutely no credible reason to continue to develop and promote these weapons of mass destruction. I applaud your effort, and the next time I’m visiting in California (I live in New Hampshire now) I promise to come and visit and lend my support to your great efforts. Continue with the good fight and know that there are many of us out here who are quietly in support of what you are doing. I ran into Helen Caldicott at a meeting here a few months ago and we certainly talked about the Nuclear Freeze days and how much work there is still to be done. I will write her tonight and tell that the effort continues and that good people are still engaged in good work…..Bill Perry, Jr.

    • Cara Bautista
      Reply

      Thanks Bill for your support and for your own activism on this issue!

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