WASHINGTON (RNS) — On the anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago, faith-based peace activists gathered at the Pentagon and the White House to call for nuclear disarmament and an end to war.
The rally, called a “nonviolent witness” by its organizers, brought together participants from across the country for prayer and song on Aug. 6 and 9, the dates in 1945 when American forces dropped the first and only nuclear weapons to be used in combat, first on Hiroshima and then on Nagasaki three days later. The bombs killed an estimated 210,000 people, including those who were poisoned by radiation.
On Saturday morning, the White House witness drew more than 50 people, one of the largest turnouts in recent memory, according to Art Laffin, who has helped organize the annual event since the 1990s.
“I was very heartened by the gathering and witness and everybody who participated,” said Laffin, a member of the Catholic Worker movement in Washington. “Everyone present was mindful of the terrible sin and crime that was committed and also inspired by the hope carried in the …