LIVERMORE -- More than 1,200 people opposed to President Bush's nuclear weapons policy held a rally and peaceful demonstration at William Paine Park and the Lawrence Livermore Lab on Sunday afternoon.

The rally -- emceed by Miguel Molina of KPFA radio of Berkeley -- featured dozens of guest speakers, including David Seaborg, Marylia Kelley of Tri-Valley Cares and William Underbaggage, an American Indian peace activist.

The demonstration was billed as the biggest such event in a decade, and organizers said at least 1,200 protestors took part.

"I have kids that are afraid to grow up," Molina said. "They ask me, 'What will happen if nuclear bombs go off,' and that's troubling to me as a parent."

Seaborg, son of Nobel-prize- winning scientist Glenn Seaborg, said he feels tied to nuclear issues more than most people. The younger Seaborg is the president and co-founder of the Children of the Manhattan Project, an anti-nuclear weapons organization.

"It's more in my consciousness, being raised by my father," Seaborg said. "I feel especially responsible because of my parentage."

He said he was delighted to see so many people at the rally.

"I'm very heartened to see these people come out and show the support that they did," Seaborg said. "At the same time, I'd like to see greater and greater numbers. I would like it to be more and more in the consciousness of the people. We need an awakening of this."

A handful of organizations, including Veterans for Peace, Black Voices for Peace and Tri-Valley CAREs -- attended the rally and demonstration, passing out leaflets and petitions and speaking to the crowd about their cause.

Members of the Solano Peace and Justice Coalition showed up to support the cause.

"Our group feels that the militarism toward the world is not the way to peace," said John Williams, who attended the rally with fellow members Dona Rose and Anita Linker. "We hope for a peaceful solution and a peaceful approach instead of wanton military action."

After the two-hour rally, the group marched from the park across Vasco Road to various sites around the lab to hold various faith-based rituals. At one site, Shafi Refai, the president of United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance, recited short Muslim prayers before attendees joined hands symbolically with paper hand cutouts tied together to circle the lab.

Paper cutouts in the shape of hands and tied together by ribbon, represented people who supported the demonstration but were unable to attend it.

The ceremony commemorated the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 58 years ago and voiced opposition to new U.S. policies on nuclear weapons.

However, many slogans ranging from criticism of the war in Iraq to warnings of endangered civil liberties appeared on posters and buttons.

Kelly Campbell of September 11 Families for a Peaceful Tomorrow sent out a clear message.

"Our grief is not a cry for war," she told the crowd about a meeting of families who lost relatives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and survivors of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Vietnam Veteran Brian Wilson described his experiences in that war a "wake-up call." Wilson has since devoted his work to the peace movement. Wilson called for "a new world based on sustainability and love."

Marylia Kelly of Tri-Valley CAREs mentioned the 20th anniversary of their organization. She alerted the crowd to what will be discussed in Washington, D.C. this fall, funding for so-called "mini-nukes" that will be on the U.S. Congress' agenda after its August recess. Legislators there will have to decide over the development of "robust nuclear earth penetrators."

Dan Meyer, 71, and his wife Ilse, 62, of Fremont said that they don't want to see the horror of World War II repeated.

"We have seen the destruction in Germany and especially in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That conflict has taken war to a new level," Ilse Meyer said.

Meyer was born in Luebeck, Germany, in 1941.

"I had to spent a lot of time during my early childhood in bomb shelters. War means death and destruction for the civilian populations. We can't just accept that as a circumstance of armed conflict."

Holding up signs saying "Blessed are the peacemakers" and "I too weep for my country's aggression," Dan and Ilse Meyer said their Christian faith makes them activists against war. Ilse Meyer calls nuclear weapons "the epitome of science gone mad."

Yoshiko Wada, 59, came to the protest from Berkeley and said she saw hypocrisy in U.S. policies.

"How can we fight wars because of weapons of mass destruction, when we develop them right here?" Wada said. "Nuclear weapons are not for defense, they are a plain offensive. A lot of money could better be spent to fight against hunger and poverty in the world."

Liza Pengelly of California Peace Action was satisfied with Sunday's event, saying that her organization, which helped to set up the protest, was pleased with the diversity of the participants.

"But there definitely need to be more younger people," Tara Spalty of California Peace Action added.

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