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Boston Globe
07-08-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
‘Do not forget Ruuko': Boston marks 80 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Related : Dozens of people — including peace activists, members of faith groups, and musicians — gathered on Dewey Square to raise alarm about the continuing nuclear threat worldwide. 'This is a sad event to commemorate, but in a way it's also a celebration,' said Brian Garvey, executive director of Massachusetts Peace Action. 'Unlike those doomed to repeat history, we are here to remember it — so we do not repeat the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.' The atomic bombings 80 years ago have left lasting health and environmental effects, speakers said, that continue to shape global debates over nuclear weapons. The Russia-Ukraine war has raised concern that the weapons could be used today. Advertisement Eileen Kurkoski, a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, held a sign that read "Ban the Bomb" at Wednesday's event. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Among those warning of those risks was Dr. Ira Helfand, who has held key roles with two organizations that were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work to abolish nuclear weapons and prevent nuclear war. 'This event today is designed to bring people's attention to the dangers of nuclear war,' Helfand said. 'We go about our business as if we weren't under this incredibly grave threat. That has to change.' Advertisement The square itself became a space for reflection Wednesday amid the bustle of downtown Boston. Encircling the lawn were poster boards displaying artwork and poetry inspired by the bombings on Japan and commemorating the lives lost. An origami station invited attendees to fold paper cranes, a Japanese symbol of peace and remembrance. Some visitors paused to take in the displays quietly; others joined conversations with organizers at tables for advocacy groups and peace coalitions. Stone of Hope drummers from the Friends Meeting at Cambridge took to the stage to perform. After speaking to the crowd, Morrow described using art — in photography and through installations — and working as a nuclear peace activist to honor her family's story. 'My grandmother did not see the abolition of nuclear weapons in her lifetime,' Morrow said. 'But I hope she can see it through mine.' At 14 years old, Morrow remembers sitting in world history class participating in a debate: whether or not the atomic bomb should have been dropped. Morrow was the only student who said 'no' to dropping the bomb. Sidate Ngom, one of the Stone of Hope drummers, performed at the Hiroshima Commemoration event on Wednesday. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff 'I feel like more people should have said no,' Morrow recalled. 'But that was the moment that it clicked. I understood my connection to [the bombings] is vastly different than the way that it's taught to anybody in this country.' Morrow was only 11 years old when her grandmother passed away from glioblastoma, a fast-moving brain cancer. Today, Morrow wears a gold pin in the shape of a dove picked up during a visit to the Nagasaki peace museum, to be reminded of Ruuko. Advertisement Sadaf Tokhi can be reached at
Boston Globe
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Senators Markey and Warren decry Trump's Iran strikes as unconstitutional
'Only Congress can declare war — and the Senate must vote immediately to prevent another endless war,' Warren said. Fellow Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey agreed, calling the strike 'illegal' for having lacked congressional approval. He said in a statement that Saturday's attack may set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, but added that not only can the country 'rebuild its program,' it 'will now be highly motivated to do so.' 'A diplomatic solution remains the best way to permanently and verifiably prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon,' Markey said. Chants of 'No More War' broke out at a Bernie Sanders rally in Tulsa, Okla., after the Vermont Senator read Trump's 'alarming' social media post announcing the strikes. 'The American people do not want more war, more death,' he said. Advertisement Massachusetts Peace Action, a Cambridge-based advocacy group, called for state leaders to speak out. The organization specifically called on Congressional leaders to pass the war power resolutions filed by Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Thomas Massie to prevent further US military action. 'We call on Massachusetts political leaders to speak out strongly against President Trump's lawless military adventure,' the organization wrote on Saturday night, shortly after the US attack on Iran. Brian Garvey, the organization's executive director, said an 'emergency event' was being planned outside Park Street Station at 1 p.m. Sunday, in protest of the strikes. Advertisement 'This direct attack by the United States on Iran a dramatic escalation by President Trump,' Garvey said in a phone call Saturday night. 'It's incredibly dangerous, it's unnecessary, and frankly, it's illegal.' Garvey said the founding fathers were explicit in giving Congress the power to declare war, adding that this is 'not how the government is supposed to work.' 'It is perhaps especially terrible because this is a president who ran saying he was going to seek peace,' he said. 'Back in 2016, he said the Iraq War was a big fat mistake. I fear that what he is leading us into could be even worse than that debacle and quagmire.' Garvey said he was 'fearful' for the US service members stationed in the Middle East, and 'outraged' that the strikes threatened their safety. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
