As NATO leaders gathered in Newport (Gwent) some local people joined a huge protest march which was taking place across that city, individuals and groups from Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire gathered outside Cardigan Guildhall for a peace vigil.

Local Quakers, Bro Emlyn Peace & Justice Group, Cardigan Amnesty Group, CND Cymru and concerned individuals called upon NATO to be disbanded, war preparations and increasing British and NATO military spending to be replaced with plans to genuinely address the causes of conflict.

Local campaigner Jill Gough of CND Cymru said:

"The real environmental dangers we all face and the eradication of poverty and child mortality will never be solved by any nuclear military alliances. In a Wales where people are forced to use foodbanks and to seek help to pay energy bills, while £billions is spent annually on armaments, it is time to reconsider our priorities.

Some who to stopped to talk to us in Cardigan High Street were concerned about the danger of Russian aggression, and of course this is an issue of concern, but the recent scale of NATO expansion itself has contributed to international tension as Russia sees itself increasingly surrounded by US and NATO bases including in the Balkans, the Middle East and central Asia.

Public money should be spent on health, education, social services and planning a safe future for our grandchildren – not more arms for NATO."