A civic group in Hiroshima held a candlelight vigil on Sunday marking the second anniversary of the United Nations treaty banning nuclear weapons.

About 50 people took part in the event in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in the city of Hiroshima. It was organized by a group that advocates for the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

The participants lit about 1,500 candles arranged to spell out "Peace for Ukraine" and "No nuke war."

The group's adviser, Moritaki Haruko, said that she sometimes experiences feelings of hopelessness.

She said she believes Hiroshima has an obligation to tell the world that any threat to use a nuclear weapon is inhumane, especially given that people are being killed and injured right now.

After the vigil, Moritaki said it's disappointing that the reality of the world remains far from what the nuclear ban treaty aims to achieve two years after it took effect.

She added that people must stand against countries that rely on nuclear deterrence. Japan has not joined the treaty.

The group plans to post photos of the candle-lit messages on social media to show people around the world.