Men and women who have been thinking for months about what to do to respond to this dripping of life, of respect, of love, of joy, of humanity.
How to oppose, how to make yourself heard, seen, how to put grains of sand in a warmongering gear that takes us straight into the abyss.
All over the world, forms of resistance, cries or silences that break a daily life impoverished by a background of blood, bombs and countless numbers of deaths.
So in Milan a large group, formed for the occasion, tried, friends, friends, friends of friends, a virtuous human chain.
In 48 hours, so they say, they organized this intervention in the square; there was no time for authorizations.
First a dense exchange of messages, people joining each other, trust in whoever proposed the thing, the script is drawn up, the appointment is precise: 7pm at the Colonne di San Lorenzo, a classic meeting place for the young Milanese nightlife.
More than 50 people meet. In exactly 10 minutes we divide the tasks and leave.
Almost everyone spreads out in the square, walking among tourists and Milanese.
The loud sound of a siren, the one that announces a bombing.
Dozens and dozens end up on the ground, in their hands some notes asking for a ceasefire.
Three people walk around each other and slowly spread discreet sheets over motionless bodies.
The people around are surprised, in disbelief, they look speechless.
A couple of young passers-by, watching, join the action and throw themselves to the ground.
A piece from Mozart’s Requiem starts, the sheets are spread out, the square is still. Endless minutes.
At the end of the song a cry: “Enough wars! Cease-fire!”
They get up, destroyed, drag their sheet, shout those words out of phase, go towards the church and in the churchyard they form the enormous writing CEASEFIRE NOW, and shortly after ENOUGH WARS, ENOUGH INJUSTICE.
They made it, they meet again, they hug each other, some introduce themselves, the satisfaction is great. They succeeded.
Now we move on to the second part: how to put together the many images collected and circulate them? Since the same evening many of them have been working on the computer.
But one thing is certain: many people say: “Let’s do it again, even better and in an even more visible place”.
They already know: it will be done.
