Early morning on August 5th, three Swedish citizens broke into a slaughterhouse in the Swedish town Skovde, and unarmed equipment used for killing. This act of civil disobedience may lead to 4 years of imprisonment.

One of the three members of the group Bye Bye Meat Industry is Ida-Lovisa Rudolfsson from Stenungsund. She is just about to begin studying art at a College in a small Swedish town. Ida Lovisa thinks that the struggle for a vegetarian society should be a high priority for all animal rights activists.

- It is simple to become vegetarian nowadays, and animal rights organisations should focus on encouraging people to change their diet.

The group Bye Bye Meat Industry is part of a Swedish animal right coalition that has performed several civil disobedience actions during the last three years. Bye Bye Meat Industry's action is a protest against the industrial conditions under which animals are slaughtered, and the group wants to focus on how animals are treated in today's world.

- When it comes to the purchasing of meat it is easy to reach the target group, for once the power to decide really is in the hand of the people.

The group choose to work with civil disobedience and accountability because they think that it is easier that way. Ida-Lovisa is not afraid of facing her sentence even if it means going to jail, but she will not pay any penalty to the slaughterhouse.

- Paying them money would be like saying "I am sorry" and I do not regret taking action.

The group has got a lot of publicity in Swedish newspapers and radio. Hundreds of leaflets have been handed out, posters have been set up in several Swedish towns, and a web page www.byebyemeat.com has been set up to spread the word. Bye Bye Meat Industry encourages others to take action against the meat industry and they are happy for any small donation given.

Written by: Karolina Linden & Johan Jaatinen