Kate Hudson in Tavistock Square [CND]

A PRO-WAR culture in this country is one of the causes of recent nationalist riots, anti-nuclear weapons campaigners said as they marked Hiroshima Day.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament-organised annual event was held in Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, on the 79th anniversary of atomic bombings in Japan during the Second Word War.

CND General Secretary Kate Hudson said: “There are two terrible conflicts in Europe that make nuclear war more likely. Militarism is ramping up. All these and more situations lead us to the correct conclusion that nuclear weapons must be abolished. The problem for the world is that our political leaders make it more rather than less likely that nuclear war will happen.”

She added: “And I believe very strongly that the development of nationalist, pro-war culture really feeds these terrible, terrible, racist anti-immigrant and Islamophobic attacks on our communities across the country. There is a strong link between our work for the peace and our work to have harmony between our communities.”

They gather every year in Tavistock Square [CND]

By the cherry tree planted in the square to commemorate the bombings in Japan, there were peace songs from the Raised Voices choir, poetry readings from Ann Garrett and Jenny Malca Brown, and music from guitarists Hugh Goodwin and Paul Steel.

A sudden downpour did not dampen the spirits as the Rev Nagase from the London Peace Pagoda gave prayers for peace while striking a gong with a baton at the event, that was opened by the Mayor of Camden Samata Khatoon.

Mr Qureshi spoke about areas of the world that were “nuclear free” in Africa and South America, parts of central and south-east Asia. He said: “I’m sure we are going to hear more about conventional wars turning potentially nuclear sooner that we realise. Hopefully I’ve given you an idea of somewhere you can go to if we have to flee to other parts of the world. There is good news in some parts of the world, just not in our own.”