Thousands protest major powers nuclear proliferation

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=7eceb7224170953f

Big News Network.com Monday 2nd May, 2005

Thousands of protesters were in New York City Monday as the United Nations launched a conference on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The throngs included dozens of Japanese survivors of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Thousands of people marched through the city to rally in Central Park Sunday, the New York Times said Monday.

Among the dozens of speakers in the park was Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba.

"There is nothing normal, natural or necessary about nuclear weapons," Akiba said. "They're a deadly cancer on the planet that need to be removed."

Other speakers said with the end of the cold war, many people believe the nuclear threat has ended, too. But they said most of the world's major powers still maintain nuclear arsenals.

Others noted how the United States claims Iran and North Korea have exploited loopholes in the Nonproliferation Treaty to pursue nuclear weapons programs that threaten world stability.

The United States wants the review conference to focus heavily on North Korea, Iran and the nuclear fuel issue, CNN reported. But many states without nuclear arms want equal emphasis on what they see as a softening commitment by the big powers to nuclear disarmament.

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[dArKeR]

1. From the grave. Old Green Peace action card members received

[ugarte]

2. U.S. hypocrisy prevents anyone taking us seriously

How do you ask others to disarm when you won't? How can we tell others nukes are dangerous, when we have so many and want more?

[struggle4progress]

3. kick