Veterans for Peace will bring historic, anti-nuclear-weapons boat to Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — A historic, anti-war boat that set sail last weekend will make a Portland stop later this summer.

The Golden Rule peace boat began its journey across the West Coast early on Sunday morning, with a departure from Humboldt Bay in California. Throughout the next two months, it will make 16 stops across Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.

The tour is organized by Veterans For Peace, a global organization of military veterans who aim to end war.

“We are sailing for a nuclear-free world and a peaceful, sustainable future,” Former Veterans for Peace President Gerry Condon said in a release.

“We are on an educational voyage to raise awareness about the growing danger of nuclear war,” Golden Rule Project Manager Helen Jaccard added. “We are building support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”

The United Nations’ nuclear ban treaty — which would make the possession or use of nuclear weapons illegal — was approved by the General Assembly in 2017, but the veterans’ organization noted that it hasn’t been signed by any of the countries with nuclear weapons.

According to Condon, spreading awareness is especially urgent amid current events. He cited the U.S. and Russia’s current conflict over Ukraine, and Israel in Gaza.

VFP reported that the Golden Rule’s history as a “peace boat” dates back to 1958, when activists attempted to sail the vessel into Marshall Islands to prevent atomic bomb tests.

Although the crew was arrested, their demonstration informed many of the potential environmental impacts of nuclear weapons tests. A treaty that former U.S. President John F. Kennedy ratified in 1963 banned these tests underwater, in the air and in space.

The Golden Rule , joined by “a flotilla of supporting vessels,” will stop in Vancouver on Sept. 14, before heading to Portland from Sept. 15 to Sept. 18.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.