swedish ploughshares activists arrested

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Swedish ploughshares activists arrested attempting to disarm Trident subamarine at Barrow-in-Furnace

This morning, Sunday September 13, three Swedish peace activists were arrested within the perimeter fence of VSEL Barrow on suspicion of going equipped to commit criminal damage. One of the three had begun to dismantle equipment outside the "Devonshire Hall", the "shed" in which HMS Vengeance, the fourth and final British Trident submarine, is being constructed.

Calling themselves "Bread not Bombs ploughshares", the three carried with them household hammers, a group statement, and individual statements.

In their group statement, the three wrote:
"The military force of the western world is the largest barrier to creating justice in the economic world. For the most part the western world doesn't have to make a show of force to keep the developing countries under control, but the military is still the guarantor of suppression and nuclear wepons are the ultimate threat... We are taking this action, as privileged people in living in the First World, because nuclear weapons are a threat against all human beings and against future generations. As long as nuclear weapons exist humanity is doomed to live in fear that they will be used."

The three are: Annika Spalde, 29, a nurse studying International Relations at Gothenburg University; Stellan Vinthagen, 33, a Peace Researcher at Gothenburg University; and Ann-Britt Sternfeldt, 38, from Länghem, an ex-town-councillor, a writer and an administrator for an Aid Charity working in the Gambia.Annika Spalde and Stellan Vinthagen live in a suburb of Gothenburg called Hammarkullen (literally: "Hammer Hill").

All three are members of the Swedish ploughshares movement, and recently attended the Trident Ploughshares 2000 (TP2000) Camp at Coulport Trident warhead base in Scotland. There are currently six TP2000 activists on remand in Scottish prisons.

The ploughshares movement takes it name from the verses by the Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Micah who write of beating "swords into ploughshares". The ploughshares movement began in 1980 in the United States and is characterised by: a strict adherence to nonviolence; the attempted disarmament of weapons systems with hand-tools; the participants taking full responsibility for their actions.

The three are currently being held and interviewed at Barrow Police Station.

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To receive updated press releases by email: stephen@gn.apc.org

More information: 0403 615894 (mobile)
Swedish contact: +46 31 711 0316
Background on ploughshares movement: Stephen Hancock on +44 (0)1865 770833

For more information about the Trident Ploughshares 2000 Campaign: tel +44 (0)1603 611953; fax +44 (0)1603 666879; 
email reforest@gn.apc.org; 
website: http://www.gn.apc.org/tp2000/

Barrow Police Station: 01229 824 532
Cumbria Police Press Office: 01768 891 999