HIROSHIMA -- Hiroshima marked the 60th anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombing Saturday with calls for more international grassroots activism to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons and harsh criticism of the nuclear powers for blocking such efforts.
But many of the ever-dwindling number of atomic bomb victims and their families worry that with each passing year, domestic and international interest in the Aug. 6, 1945, bombing by the United States and its effects on Hiroshima is decreasing.
Interest certainly appeared high Saturday. Despite blistering heat topping 30 degrees and high humidity, city officials estimated that nearly 55,000 people, including a large contingent of peace activists from around the world, gathered in Peace Memorial Park by 7:45 a.m.