Tavistock peace campaigners have marked the eightieth anniversary of the atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Members of Tavistock Peace Action Group (TPAG) manned a stall raising awareness of the 1945 drop by the US on the two Japanese cities to effectively end WWII, of the victims and of the current dangers of nuclear escalation.

They also gathered a petition calling on the government to spend the armaments budgets on the NHS and welfare instead of F35 jets and submarines, which can both carry nuclear weapons.

TPAG members on the stall on Friday, August 8 observed a fast in tribute to the 1945 victims. The event remembered the suffering of all those affected by the bombings, including the deaths and long-term suffering of the living.

After the stall closed, the group joined its weekly Friday mass placard-waving vigil on Bedford Square calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Val Sharpe, TPAG spokesman, said: “The stall was well-visited. We had many very interesting conversations with the public, both local and visitors to the town.

“The petition gained nearly 100 signatures and the town council market staff allowed the stall to continue till the vigil at 4pm. That was very helpful and particularly helped those observing the annual fast for Hiroshima victims, who could just stay in one place until the vigil.”

Val added: “These bombings led to the immediate deaths of tens of thousands of people and later death and long-term health problems for survivors.

“The effects of these bombings are still being felt today and they serve as a powerful reminder of the devastating consequences. The lessons of Hiroshima, which once guided our collective efforts towards disarmament and peace, have been pushed aside.”

TPAG is affiliated to CND and meets on the first Tuesday of every month from 7.30pm in the United Reformed Church on Russell Street, Tavistock. More information by email: [email protected]