Hiroshima Peace Walk 2005

To find out more information about the peace walk you could visit:

 the photo gallery, which has a day-by-day diary of the walk.

 the Latest News section of the site, which has a record of the press releases sent before, during and after the walk.

• Mayor of Hiroshima calls people to participate in peace walk to Belgian NATO nuclear base
• Victim of A-bomb joins walkers to NATO and U.S nuclear base of Kleine Brogel
• Invitation as walkers arrive at NATO hq with survivor of A-bomb
• Hiroshima commemoration calls for global ban of nuclear weapons at Belgian nuclear weapon base
• A global campaign for a nuclear weapons convention by 2010
• Origami papercranes on runway of NATO base of Kleine Brogel

 the Archive section, where the practical information for the walk, the peace camp and the commemmorations has been kept.

 Indymedia, where there are some articles about the walk. 1 2 3 4

A brief summary of the walk

The Hiroshima Peace Walk 2005 covered 250 km from Ypres in the west of Flanders to Kleine Brogel NATO nuclear base in Limburg between 26th July and 9th August, commemmorating the 60th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima on the 6th August, and of Nagasaki on the 9th August 1945.

Well over a hundred walkers took part. They were from many different countries, including Japan, the U.S., Chile, Finland, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands, Australia, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Estonia, and the UK.

They were joined by Mr. Yoshio Sato, a survivor of the Hiroshima bomb, who testified to the horror of nuclear weapons. Along the route the walkers were received by mayors who had become members of the international Mayors for Peace campaign which is spearheaded by the Mayor of Hiroshima. He is calling for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons by 2020.

Commemmoration

On the 6th August a commemmoration ceremony was held on the church in Peer, attended by many Belgian Mayors for Peace, including the new vice-chairman of the international campaign Patrik Vankrunkelsven and Bruno de Lille, deputy mayor of Brussels, as well as the commander of the NATO nuclear base at Kleine Brogel, just a few kilometres away.

On the 9th August the walkers returned to Gent for the commemmoration of the bombing of Nagasaki.

Action

Actions took place at the NATO headquarters in Evere, Brussels on the 1st August, at Sanicole air show on the 7th August and at the secret NATO nuclear base at Kleine Brogel on the 8th August. SANICOLE?

In Brussels, Mr. Sato, deputy mayor Bruno de Lille and peace walker Marriette Moors met with a NATO representative to discuss the illegality of NATO nuclear weapons policy. Outside the compound walkers and protesters found that permission had been withdrawn for the symbolic shutdown which had been planned to take place at the gates of the headquarters. When 11 activists, including clowns from CIRCA, attempted to conduct a Citizens' Weapons Inspection with questionnaires for workers at the base, they were arrested.

At the Bourse, in the centre of Brussels, a group of walkers, joined by Mr. Sato, put on some street theatre to inform an international audience about what had happened that morning, and about the involvement of NATO member states in the NATO Nuclear Planning Group which is responsible for NATO illegal nuclear weapons policy.

At Sanicole, Meer Bommen voor Belgie (More Bombs for Belgium) launched its first campaign, trying to raise money for an new F-16 plane capable of dropping the nuclear weapons stored at nearby Kleine Brogel NATO nuclear base. The action raised roughly €3 for the urgently needed military hardware.

At Kleine Brogel, a group of international peace campaigners entered the nuclear NATO base and reached the runway. They placed origami birds on the runway in order to prevent the F16 planes based at Kleine Brogel from taking off and training for the use of nuclear weapons. The origami cranes are an international symbol of peace and opposition to nuclear weapons. All 5 were arrested.