CND members still campaigning hard

LAST August there was an anniversary march from Cardiff City Hall to Greenham Common. This was in commemoration of the original march 40 years ago when 36 women, four men and three babies walked the same route to protest against nuclear weapons and the Conservative government led by Thatcher allowing American cruise missiles to be sited at an RAF base in Berkshire called Greenham Common.

This march led to the “Embrace the base” action of December 1982 when 30,000 women held hands around the 14km fence and also the occupation of the site by a large company of women for the next 20 years. Lots of the original women marchers turned up. The importance of this aspect of the anti-nuclear struggle cannot be underestimated. It is action such as this which helps the working class police our rulers when they are bang out of line.

This year is also the anniversary of the Clwyd Declaration of Nuclear Free Wales in 1982, itself the result of important campaigns in the communities across Wales causing eight county councils passing “nuclearfree” resolutions. CND is celebrating the result of this declaration with a touring exhibition in the same old counties. Traditions such as this give us all strength and the anti-nuclear movement potency. Local authorities in Wales are working out how to avoid climate change and CND is calling for them to stand on the foundations of the Clwyd Declaration and support the global campaign for the nuclear bill to be used instead of solving the effects of the climate crisis.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has grown in strength recently. Interestingly, several new states have ratified it and two Nato members – Norway and Germany – are showing distinct signs of cooperation. Even a Swedish insurance group and three major Belgian financial institutions have decided on a policy of ending investment with companies associated with the production of nuclear weapons.

Throughout 2021 CND across all Britain campaigned hard against nuclear, in particular its strategy of Nurses not Nukes. Truly, CND is still here and refuses to give up, until the dream is achieved. It is organising activities throughout the year, beginning with a CND Cymru online meeting on February 23 and ending with an exhibition at the Senedd on December 1. Also, a visit to the National Eisteddfod in Tregaron in August. Exhibitions are planned for Wrexham, Bangor, Aberystwyth, Llandrindod Wells, Haverfordwest, Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff and Newport. If we all embrace this campaign with thought, prayer, word, deed and spirit, particularly with Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the Green Party added to the magic formula, we should be able to make real progress.

Mr J Bucke, Cefn Glas, Bridgend