declaration of co-conspiration
bread not bombs
/ english / trial / declaration of co-conspiration
On the 13th. of September 1998 the plowshares group Bread Not Bombs went to the VSEL shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, England. They performed a nonviolent and open dismantling of the platform of the most powerful weapon of mass destruction in the world, the nuclear submarine Trident. In co-operation with a campaign of over 100 other plowshare activists from ten different countries, they are trying to encourage a democratic decision of total disarmament of nuclear weapons in Britain. The Swedish group Bread Not Bombs Plowshares say nuclear weapons are a part of rich countries' attempt to uphold an unjust economic world order where 30,000 children starve to death each day.
After their disarmament action they took personal responsibility for what they did, since they claim they acted morally by taking their responsibility for the poor that are threatened, starving and trying to escape war and opression. The three peace activists in the group - the ex-town councillor Ann-Britt Sternfeldt, the nurse Annika Spalde and the peace researcher Stellan Vinthagen were arrested and imprisoned.
On the 4th. of May the trial will start in Preston Crown Court, Lancashire, where it will be decided if they are guilty of a crime or if they acted lawfully in an attempt to prevent a crime against humanity. They are charged with "conspiracy to commit criminal damage". In judicial terms conspiracy means taking a joint decision to commit a criminal act. But literally conspiracy means "to breathe together. In moral terms it should mean taking joint responsibility for what ought to be done.
Irrespective if it is criminal or not, a lot of people have been co-operating to make this disarmament action possible. The ploughshare action Bread Not Bombs did on the 13th. of September would never have been possible without significant support in different forms before the action. But as important was the knowledge that a lot of people were prepared to engage in support after the action, when it was a matter of managing the risk of a long time in prison. All these people have co-operated, been "breathing together" or conspired in the name of peace and solidarity.
I declare myself as jointly responsible in the conspiracy that Ann-Britt Sternfedt, Annika Spalde and Stellan Vinthagen performed to initiate the nonviolent disarmament of the nuclear submarine Trident. I have through different forms of support work -- for example economic donation, writing, teaching, organising, talking or supportive friendship -- before or after the action been part of the co-operation to make this nonviolent disarmament action possible.
I am aware that those who want to defend nuclear weapons might understand this declaration as a criminal act, which in worst case would mean that I would, like the three in Bread Not Bombs Plowshares, risk being charged and brought to court. I claim that I ave not done anything criminal. Instead I have, like Bread Not Bombs Plowshares, acted in solidarity with the poor of the world and have taken moral responsibility to prevent criminal obedience and mass murder.
(Signed with name, profession and adress, date)
BRING YOUR CO-CONSPIRACY STATEMENT TO THE TRIAL
Or copy this and sign it below and send to plowshares@hotmail.com
