11.08.2015 ICAN and the IPPNW’s French affiliate organized a non-stop demonstration from August 6 to 9, with one hundred fasting demonstrators in Paris, Valduc and Barp. Doctors from AMFPGN participated in all places, not only for support but also for medical monitoring. French radio stations, newspapers and TV stations were very interested in the activities and broadcasted a lot of interviews and commentaries. The physicians explained their reasons for supporting the ICAN campaign for a nuclear-weapons-ban treaty.
ICAN activities in Finland regarding the Hiroshima day
Finnish media covered the reminiscence events for the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki quite intensively. Interviews of several Hibakusha were published in the main newspaper “Helsingin Sanomat” and most of the other papers published articles on Hiroshima; also in TV news the issue was well discussed. A chairperson of the “Peace Union of Finland” was interviewed by one of the main TV channels and “Helsingin Sanomat” published a letter about the ICAN campaign and the need for Finland to sign the Humanitarian Pledge.
In 10 different places remembrance events with floating candles took place, the largest in Helsinki with several hundred participants. The former Minister of Foreign affairs served as one of the speakers.
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a press release for Hiroshima Day reminding of the necessity of nuclear disarmament where it states e.g., that "now attention to nuclear weapons and their effects are being paid in the framework of the so called Humanitarian Initiative. Finland supports this initiative and promotes the aim of achieving a world without nuclear weapons. Finland stresses the importance of getting nuclear weapons states involved in the dialogue in order to achieve progress in nuclear disarmament."
Because Finland hasn’t signed the Humanitarian Pledge yet, peace organisations asked for an audience with the new Minister of Foreign Affairs in order to urge him to do so.
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