Hiroshima & Nagasaki Survivors Condemn Trump’s Nuclear Test Plans
A group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, including Nobel Peace Prize laureates, has strongly condemned former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to resume nuclear weapons testing. The survivors, known as Hibakusha, who endured the horrors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, voiced their outrage, emphasizing the unacceptable nature of such actions.
A History of Devastation
More than 200,000 people were killed when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. This remains the only instance of nuclear weapons being used in war. The Hibakusha have suffered physical and psychological trauma for decades as a result of the bombings. The recent announcement by Trump, directing the Pentagon to conduct nuclear weapons tests in response to Russian and Chinese tests, has ignited a wave of protest.
Protests and Condemnation
Following Trump’s announcement, the Nihon Hidankyo group, which includes Nobel Peace Prize winners, sent a protest letter to the U.S. Embassy in Japan. The letter stated that Trump’s order directly contradicts global efforts to achieve a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons, and is therefore unacceptable. Shiro Suzuki, the mayor of Nagasaki, also condemned Trump’s decision, saying it disregards the efforts of people worldwide who have strived for a world without nuclear weapons.
Suzuki questioned whether Trump was worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, referencing the intent of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to nominate Trump for the award. The Hibakusha’s popular movement, Hidankyo, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 and called on countries to abandon nuclear weapons. Two other groups of atomic bomb survivors, based in Hiroshima, issued protest statements, demanding that such tests not be conducted.
The Human Cost
A joint statement from the Hiroshima Conference Against Nuclear Bombs and the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Victims Association was also sent to the U.S. Embassy in Japan. The statement highlighted that in a nuclear war, there are no winners, only losers. The statement added that the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons is clearly evident in the devastation witnessed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Approximately 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and another 74,000 in Nagasaki, with many dying from radiation exposure.
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