On Thursday 20 May, a group of eleven Cambridge activists and residents linked arms and formed an outward-facing circle in front of city hall. At 1:30, they raised their voices in a collective scream against the illegal, violent occupation of Iraq. The scream lasted for one minute, which seemed a short time to local media crews that turned up to film the action. But the screamers were visibly affected by the intensity of the experience. Participants hoped to reach out to fellow Cambridge residents with the message that it is time to vocalize our opposition to the Bush/Blair war machine in creative and confrontational ways. Two passers-by joined the scream after learning of it when flyers were passed out minutes before. Other onlookers cheered as the scream ended, and many expressed enthusiasm for participating in future screams.

Participants recognized screaming as a way to convey a range of intense emotions about the war -- from rage and horror, to strength and solidarity. The action also highlighted the silence of government in the face of the war crimes being perpetrated by coalition forces. Activists will take to the streets this Saturday 22 May for an emergency demonstration in London, starting at Embankment at 11am and proceeding to Trafalgar Square.