Nuclear Disarmament and Cuban Crisis

Moving Away from the Brink of Nuclear War 1962

The Cuban revolution brought nuclear brinkmanship to the fore as nuclear disarmament and the Cuban Crisis escalated protests during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 when the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to deter U.S. intervention against it.

  • Hiroshima Day1 62 resize
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    October 27, 1962 San Francisco Hands Off Cuba March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    October 27, 1962 San Francisco Hands Off Cuba March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Hands Off Cuba102762
    October 27, 1962 San Francisco Hands Off Cuba March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    March, 1962 San Francisco Peace March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    March, 1962 San Francisco Peace March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    March, 1962 San Francisco Peace March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    March, 1962 San Francisco Peace March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    August 6, 1962 Hirosima Day March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    March, 1962 San Francisco Peace March
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
  • Nevada protest 5crop
    1962, Mercury, Nevada. Women For Peace March in the Desert
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    1962, San Francisco, CA, Protest for release of crew of Everyman after their arrest at sea.
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    1962, San Francisco, CA, Ban the Bomb Demonstration.
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    1962, San Francisco, CA, Ban the Bomb Demonstration.
  • Nuclear Disamament & the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1958-60
    1960, San Francisco, CA, Union Square, End the Arms Race Rally.

Nuclear Disarmament and Cuban Crisis

1962, San Francisco, CA, Protest for release of crew of Everyman after their arrest at sea. Nuclear Disarmament and Cuban Crisis
1962, San Francisco, CA, Protest for release of crew of Everyman after their arrest at sea. Nuclear Disarmament and Cuban Crisis

As the world witnessed rising levels of nuclear fallout from the testing of atom bombs during the Cold War era, public demonstrations for nuclear disarmament grew during the late 1950’s. It took courage to stand up for peace in the face of Cold War hysteria, media hostility, police surveillance and harassment and employer discrimination against dissenters.  Harvey Richards photographed these early Ban the Bomb demonstrations against nuclear testing. People like Linus Pauling and Benny Bufano marched in Union Square in San Francisco calling for an end to nuclear testing and nuclear disarmament.

Pacifists rallied against nuclear testing when the Committee for Non Violent Action (CNVA) built a small boat and set off into the Pacific Ocean to occupy the testing zones.  Harvey Richards made a film about their efforts called Everyman (the name of the boat) and photographed the demonstrations supporting it when the boat was seized by the Coast Guard and the crew arrested.  Joan Baez participated in these demonstrations.

The Cuban revolution brought nuclear brinkmanship to the fore during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 when the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to deter U.S. intervention against it. Demonstrators gathered in San Francisco to call for sanity and pulling back from the nuclear showdown.  Peace advocates became more numerous and vocal as the grip of the anti-communist crusade of the McCarthy period began to weaken.  The photos in this gallery show the first public outcries against the atomic bomb that would grow into the massive peace movement of the late 60’s and early 70s.

Buy or license these photos. All images are copyrighted © Paul Richards 2001-2020.

MEDIA – For photos & interviews: Paul Richards (510) 967 5577; paulrichards@estuarypress.com

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