BREAD NOT BOMBS PLOUGHSHARES: On September 13, 1998, three Swedish peace activists, Annika Splade, a nurse and student of International Relations; StellanVinthagen, a Peace Researcher, and Ann-Britt Sternfeldt, an ex-town councilor, writer and administrator, were arrested within the perimeter fence of VSEL Barrow in England on suspicion of going equipped to commit criminal damage. One of the three had already begun to dismantle equipment outside of the “Devonshire Hall,” the shed in which the HMS Vengeance, the fourth and final British Trident submarine is being constructed. They each acted in support of the Trident Ploughshares 2000 Campaign, a nonviolent direct action campaign to stop the Trident program.

Calling themselves “Bread Not Bombs Ploughshares”, the three carried with them household hammers, and individual and group statements to the site. They also brought loaves of bread to symbolize the urgent need to feed the poor and to invest in life, not in weapons of death. In their statement they declared: “We are taking this action, as privileged people 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 may be used.” The three were arrested and jailed, and released on January 21, pending their trial. On March 18, they broke one of the few conditions of their release by deliberately failing to make a fortnightly report to the Liverpool police. On March 21, they broke another condition of their release by returning to the Barrow shipyard with 20 supporters to ask workers and security to continue the disarmament work of the Trident. They were taken back into custody pending their trial.

After an eight-day trial, which was held in Preston, the judge instructed the jury that most of the evidence presented about international law was not admissible. However, it still made a great impact on the jury. The case resulted in a hung jury and the three were released.

On October 11, 1999, the government decided to retry the case. Ann-Britt was ill and unable to attend the new trial. With over 70 peace activists on hand from many countries, Annika and Stellan went through their second jury trial, which lasted five days. This time they were convicted, even though the verdict was not initially unanimous. They were sentenced to time already served. No further legal action has been taken to date against Ann-Brit.