Avrusta Direct Action

Just learnt (via Schnews) about the OFOG network here in Sweden, and its Disarm campaign (Avrusta!). According to the site:

Sweden is one the world’s biggest weapons manufacturers. In spite of the small size of our country we are still ninth (2007) on the list of the biggest weapons exporters in the world. Sweden manufactures weapons that are used in Iraq among other countries. The Swedish government claims at the same time that they want to work for peace in the world. Not only does Sweden’s weapons export violate ethics but also its own guidelines for weapons export and international law. We as citizens and fellow human beings can not let companies and politicians contribute to an escalation of conflicts and an increasing militarization of the world.

On October 16, Avrusta members took direct action:

In the dead of Wednesday night / Thursday morning, activists from peace and disarmament group OFOG/Avrusta (roughly translated as ‘mischief’ / ‘disarm’) used bolt cutters to break into a BAE Systems facility in Karlskoga, about 150m west of Stockholm. Leaving behind a banner saying, “The door is open — you are free to start disarming,” – and they proceeded to do just that, damaging any components in sight, smashing parts destined for Howitzer 77s.

Meanwhile, around a 100km nearer the capital in Eskilstuna, other disarmament experts were breaking into a Saab owned weapons factory where they damaged twenty high explosive grenade launchers with hammers.

It’s great to see this kind of action being carried out here. I just wish my Swedish was a little better so I could read the rest of the site and find out more. Well done to Anna Andersson, Martin Smedjeback, Catherine Laska, Pelle Strindlund and Annika Spalde!

Bill Quigley, a human rights lawyer and law professor at Loyola University New Orleans, has written more about it: Swedish Peace Activists Repeatedly Break Into Weapon Factories