City marks anniversary of Japanese bombings

The Lord Mayor of Manchester will lead two minutes’ silence for the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

A ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombings will be held at Manchester Peace Gardens on St Peter's Square in the city centre, from 10.40am on Monday August 9.

Councillor Mark Hackett, Lord Mayor of Manchester, will lay a wreath in memory of the more than 200,000 people who were killed during the bombings at the end of the Second World War - most of whom were civilians - as well as the 23 million non-combatants who have been killed since.

There will also be readings of poetry written by Japanese survivors of the hydrogen bomb attacks.

The event, which is open to members of the public and members of all faith groups, will take place alongside peace ceremonies held across the world.

Manchester was declared a Nuclear Free City in 1980 and has developed links with the two Japanese cities through this - and through the Mayors For Peace organisation.

Tomihisa Taue, the Mayor of Nagasaki, will visit Manchester in November as part of a series of events marking the 30th anniversary of the city's nuclear-free status, including the launch of a new peace and justice trail through the city centre and a photographic exhibition at the People's History Museum.

Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Mark Hackett, said: "I am honoured to be leading the ceremony to remember the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, one of the saddest anniversaries of the 20th century.

"I hope the ceremony allows us all to reflect on the real cost of all conflicts and honour the ordinary men, women and children who have so needlessly died. Manchester is proud of its involvement with the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and we stand shoulder to shoulder with them at this ceremony. I urge people to attend it."