Peace tree gathering is cancelled

An annual event held in East Kilbride to remember the victims of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been cancelled due to the COVID-19.

Many years ago a Peace Tree was planted in Churchhill Avenue by the East Kilbride branch of the campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

A ceremony has been held every year since attended by members of the CND, locals and politicians on August 6.

The tree acts not only as a reminder of the horrors of nuclear attack but also aims to inspire us to work for a safe world, free of nuclear weapons.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the atrocity when in 1945, during World War II, an American bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Three days later, a dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people.

While the EK CND say there will not be a gathering this year, they are encouraging people to go along individually to pay their respects and mark the day.

A spokeswoman for the group said:“In this atomic age,we have gathered every year at the tree just down from the Civic Centre on the August 6 when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

“We have had speeches,songs and poems and decorated the tree.

“This year it is the 75th anniversary and it is with great regret ,we are cancelling the event because of the virus.

“But we urge people to go down individually and decorate the tree. Wishing peace and safety to all.”