Ypres commemorates atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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On Wednesday morning, the city council of Ypres, Belgium, commemorated the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which occurred exactly 80 years ago.
As a city of peace, Ypres plays a significant role in remembering the attacks. During the ceremony, officials raised the Mayors for Peace flag and made an appeal against the use of nuclear weapons.
“The horror of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be forgotten”
Ypres has been a member of the international Mayors for Peace network since 1998. As the lead city for Belgium and vice-chair of the global network, a delegation from Ypres will participate in the quadrennial General Assembly of Mayors for Peace in Nagasaki.
City of peace
Mayor Katrien Desomer travelled to Japan to attend the assembly. “The horror of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be forgotten,” she said. "Through this ceremony, we aim to send a clear message that peace and dialogue are the only way forward. Ypres, a city of peace, remembers and keeps vigil.”
Ypres is the unofficial capital of the Flanders Fields region, which was the site of numerous battles during the First World War. The city commemorates these battles daily by sounding the Last Post in tribute to the fallen soldiers.
Survivors' accounts
During the ceremony in Astrid Park to commemorate the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Alderman Stephaan De Roo emphasised the importance of survivors' accounts in raising awareness of the catastrophic consequences of using nuclear weapons. “It is alarming that the taboo surrounding the use of nuclear weapons is being challenged today,” he said.
"It is important to remind ourselves that nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons the world has ever known"
"The nuclear powers are modernising and upgrading their arsenals. New countries appear to be preparing to acquire nuclear weapons and are making threats to use them in warfare. It is important to remind ourselves that nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons the world has ever known,” he said.
Back on the table
During the ceremony, Yper Museum educator Wouter Sinaeve read a gripping testimony from survivor Akihiro Takahashi. The ceremony concluded with the song Enola Gay by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Ypres also called on other Flemish cities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the attack.
"It makes you wonder whether history has really taught us nothing”
“It remains a powerful testimony, and today our message is clearly even more relevant,” said Sinaeve. "Whereas the nuclear weapons issue was taboo for a long time, it now suddenly seems to be back on the table. Our country is buying F35 aircraft that can carry nuclear bombs. It makes you wonder whether history has really taught us nothing.”
#FlandersNewsService | An Allied correspondent stands amid the rubble of Hiroshima following the atomic bomb attack on the city © TOPFOTO
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