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Scream against war, torture and occupation

Cambridge IMC | 31.05.2004 19:57 | Anti-militarism | Iraq | Cambridge

It has become clear that the British and American governments are guilty of serious abuses in Iraq. A leaked report from the International Committee of the Red Cross contradicts George Bush's assertion that Abu Grahib had been a scene of "...disgraceful conduct by a few American troops...".

The ICRC director of communications, Pierre Kraehenbuchel insisted that there was "a broad pattern, not individual acts, there was a pattern and a system." Furthermore the occupying forces have not improved the humanitarian situation (Read more), and the number of Iraqi civilians killed is estimated to be between 9921 and 11071.

Scream
Scream


In response to the atrocities, and to the overall disaster of the occupation, activists from the Cambridge Action Network (C.A.N.) organised a Scream against War, Occupation and Torture. On Thursday 20th May activists from this group plus other residents from Cambridge met outside the Town Hall in market square at 1.30pm. Kristina Weaver, an activist who had participated in a collective scream before, explained the action to the group and onlookers.

The group then linked arms and stood in an outward facing circle. The group screamed for one minute, and then finished to applause from people who had stopped to watch. Kristina said that the purpose of the scream was to "give people a space to express feelings about war and torture, feelings that are too complex and intense sometimes to be captured by words." She also aimed to make a "creative and confrontational statement about the silence of the US and UK governments in response to the ongoing atrocities..." (See Kristina's newswire article). 11 people turned up to participate, 2 of whom had joined when leaflets were handed out 15 minutes earlier. Local press (Q103 and the Cambridge Evening News) came to report on the action. The scream was also provided publicity for an emergency demonstration called by the Stop the War coalition in London on Saturday May 22nd.

The demonstration in London started at 11 a.m at the Embankment and proceeded to Trafalgar Square. The size of the march is believed to have been between 2.5 and 3000. Speakers included Galloway, Tony Benn, Lindsay German, Jeremy Corbyn, Ken Livingstone and Bruce Kent. A participant in the march has written that the march was "All in all a great experience given the situation. In less than 2 weeks a demonstration of this size would be impossible but for the email lists and the general networking of so many people." Later that day there was a protest against the Rafah massacre outside downing street which ended in a sitdown at Whitehall (Read more).

The Stop the War coalition has called for a day of local action on June 30th to coincide with the so called "handover of power" to the Iraqis.

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