Table of Contents
- Introduction
- News, and Other Relevant Links
- Related Organizations and Resources
- Featured Resolutions
Portland is one of four Maine municipalities to sign onto [a BftB] resolution, joined by Bangor, South Portland, and Hallowell.
Portland, Maine’s most populous city, has been the epicenter of nuclear disarmament action in the state.
Portland’s pivotal role in the movement was prompted by a 1995 report from Peace Action Maine, which revealed that Portland taxpayers were contributing $60 million annually to the Pentagon’s spending budget. The report popularized the saying, “There’s a contract out on Portland” and uniquely reframed Pentagon spending as not solely a federal issue but a local one. This reframing prompted residents to consider other local actions that could contribute to nuclear disarmament.
The 1995 report also served as a unifying force for Maine activist groups, leading to the ‘A Day Without the Pentagon Gathering’ in the city’s Monument Square in 1998. This anti-war and anti-defense spending movement included local groups such as Peace Action Maine, Maine Veterans for Peace, Pax Christi Maine, Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. These groups work predominantly to make state- and national-level change, with this Portland meeting reflecting the importance of local action for these chapters.
In 2012, on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Peace Action’s national chapter issued a statement calling on former U.S. President Barack Obama to follow through on his previously stated goal of ending ‘Cold War thinking’ by ridding the world of nuclear weapons. At the time of publication, the U.S. was spending an estimated $30 billion annually on its nuclear weapon arsenal. This statement received 116 signatures, including one from Portland’s then-Mayor, Michael Brennan on behalf of the city. Eleven other Maine organizations and representatives signed as well, although Portland was the only municipality to endorse this message.
In 2022, Portland passed a Back from the Brink resolution supporting the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The resolution calls for the U.S. Congress to establish a system of checks and balances for launching a nuclear weapon, pursue an elimination agreement with nuclear-armed states, and sign the TPNW. Additionally, the treaty authorizes itself for consideration for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons’ (ICAN) Cities Lead Campaign, as well as submits the members of the Portland City Council who support the resolution to the ICAN Parliamentary Pledge, unique actions to this resolution. Copies of this resolution were distributed to various U.S. Secretaries, Congressional Leaders, and other interested parties. Portland is one of four Maine municipalities to pass such a resolution, joined by Bangor, South Portland, and Hallowell.
News, and Other Relevant Links
Sen. King expresses concerns about more countries getting nuclear weapons
WGME (2026)
Physicians for Social Responsibility (2019)
Related Organizations and Resources
Featured Resolutions
Public Meeting Summaries
RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT CONGRESS ACT TO
PROTECT PORTLAND CITIZENS FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS
January 23, 2019
City of Portland’s resolution calls on U.S. Congress to take necessary, ethical steps to eliminate the President’s sole authority to launch a nuclear attack by creating an appropriate system of checks and balances. The treaty additionally urges the U.S. Congress to renounce the use of nuclear weapons first, remove U.S. weapons from hair trigger alert, cancel modernization plans for the U.S. arsenal, and work on pursuing an anti-nuclear agreement with other nuclear-armed states. The treaty states that the City of Portland supports the United Nations’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and calls the U.S. federal government to join. The treaty also submits itself for consideration into the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons’ (ICAN) #ICANSAVE Cities Lead Campaign. The members of the Portland City Council who supported this resolution also submitted their names to ICAN’s Parliamentary Pledge. Copies of the treaty were shared with a wide range of public officials and nuclear weapon-related organizations.
RESOLUTIONS
Statement from peace action
October 17, 2012
This statement was made on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It draws attention to the presence of over 20,000 nuclear weapons on the planet, calling on President Obama to change U.S. nuclear policy to begin elimination. The letter asks President Obama to follow through on his goal of ending “outdated Cold War thinking” and determine whether the massive amount of spending on these weapons is worth it.