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Earth Liberation Front

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File:ELFLogo.gif
Original ELF logo from artist in Santa Cruz, California.

The Earth Liberation Front (ELF), also known as "Elves" or "The Elves",[1] is the collective name for anonymous and autonomous individuals or groups that, according to the now defunct Earth Liberation Front Press Office, use "economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the natural environment."[2], commonly known as ecotage.

The ELF was founded in the United Kingdom in 1992 and spread to Europe by 1994. It is now an international movement with actions reported in over a douzen countries[3] and is widely regarded as the Animal Liberation Front's younger sister, because of the relationship and cooperation between the two movements.[4]

Using the same leaderless resistance model, as well as similar guidlines to the ALF,[5] sympathizers say that it is an eco-defense group dedicated to taking the profit motive out of environmental destruction by causing economic damage to businesses through the use of direct action.[6]

The ELF was classified as the top domestic terror threat in the United States by the FBI in March 2001,[7][8] and are categorised as "eco-terrorists".[9] The ELF's guidelines require that individuals or groups acting on its behalf "take all necessary precautions against harming any animal — human and nonhuman."[10]. On the lack of deaths from ELF action, the FBI's deputy assistant director for counterterrorism has said, "I think we're lucky. Once you set one of these fires they can go way out of control."[11] The name came to public prominence when they were featured on the television show 60 Minutes in 2005.[12]

Guidelines

Any direct action to halt the destruction of the environment and adhering to the strict nonviolent guidelines, listed below, can be considered an ELF action. Economic sabotage and property destruction fall within the guidelines.[13]

The Earth Liberation Front published guidelines for action are: [1][14]

  • To inflict maximum economic damage on those profiting from the destruction and exploitation of the natural environment.
  • To reveal to, and to educate the public about the atrocities committed against the earth and all species that populate it.
  • To take all necessary precautions against harming any animal - human and nonhuman.

Actions

Further information, see Ecotage and Monkeywrenching

ELF "monkeywrenching" has been carried out against facilities and companies involved in logging, genetic engineering, GMO crops, deforestation, home building, automobile sales, energy production and distribution, and a wide variety of other activities, all charged by ELF with exploiting the environment. Individuals work in autonomous affinity groups and are self-funded.[15][16]

Techniques involve destruction of property, by either using tools to disable or the use of arson to destroy, what they believe is being used to injure animals, people or the environment. These activities are sometimes called ecotage and there are marked differences between their actions in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The Earth Liberation Front has no formal leadership, membership or official spokesperson; instead it consists of individuals or small groups who choose to use the term. The FBI says that activist Rod Coronado is "a national leader" of the ELF in the USA, while Coronado describes himself as an "unofficial ELF spokesman".[17] Craig Rosebraugh served as an unofficial spokesperson for the ELF Press Office in North America from 1997 to early September 2001.[18] However, doubts have been raised about whether Rosebraugh or other unofficial spokespeople for ELF actually have ties to the cells involved.[19]

History

Main articles: Timeline of Earth Liberation Front actions and Radical environmentalism

United Kingdom

Main article: Environmental direct action in the United Kingdom
The symbol of Earth First!: a Monkey wrench and stone hammer

Brighton meeting 1992

The initials of the Animal Liberation Front with an anarchist circle-A incorporated into the design

The Earth Liberation Front was founded in 1992 in Brighton, England by members of the Earth First! (EF!) environmental movement at the first ever national meeting. At the time, EF! had become very popular, so people's concerns were based on maintaining this popularity and by doing so not associating with overt law breaking. There was no universal agreement over this, but it was accepted amongst the movement that British EF! would instead continue to advocate and focus on civil disobedience and mass demonstrations.[5] If people wanted to partcipate in acts of ecotage, the new name "Earth liberation Front" would be used, with its name and guidelines derived from the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), another movement that uses non-violent direct action to liberate animals or sabotage companies using them. It was understood that the simplicity of the guidlines was a crucial factor in order to engage as many people as possible to the new cause, with the intention that the ELF would quickly become as popular as the ALF.[20]

Earth Night 1992

One of the first and most notable actions was on April Fool's Earth Night 1992, a night organised by activists to carry out ecotage and also one of the first of them. The Elves, as they were also known, targeted Fisons, a peat company accussed of destroying the peat bogs causing £50'000-70'000 worth of damage. Pumps, trucks and other machinery belonging to the company were destroyed after legal campaigners, Friends of the Earth, spent two years advocating a boycott of the company. Green Anarchist magazine publicised the communique with the demands from the ELF: [21]

All out peat bogs must be preserved in their entirety, for the sake of the plants, the animals and our national heritage. Cynically donating small amounts will do no good. The water table will drop, and the bogs will dry out and die, unless it is preserved fully. Fisons must leave all of it alone - now!

Autumn 1993

In the September–October 1993 issue of the Earth First! Journal, an anonymous article announced the creation of the ELF in England. It said the ELF "is a movement of independently operating eco-saboteurs" that split from the "British EF! movement, which has focused directly on public direct actions." The author noted that, unlike the ALF which seeks publicity:[13]

ELF cells, for security reasons, work without informing the press and do not claim responsibility for actions... The surest way to be done for conspiracy or to attract surveillance or infiltrators is to seek attention.

Europe

The ELF quickly spread across to Europe by 1994, with actions first occuring in Holland, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Spain, France and Finland, and the name starting to be used across the globe. [3] It is believed that cells rapidly established themselves in new countries because of the global outreach of Earth First! and the connection between the two groups.[22] British Elves were also making contact with link-minded activists, informing them about the ELF and its tactics, with missionaries targeting specifically France, Spain, Germany and Holland.

Within two years, McDonalds had been vandalised in Germany and Poland, Amsterdam Airport and been sabotaged with cars trashed and hunting towers were destroyed in Holland and Germany, presumably inspired by similar actions against hunting by the ALF.[23] New groups emerged during this time, with activists calling themselves; "Radical Brigades for Ecological Defence", "The Moles", "The Grey Wolves" and "West Country Wildlife Cell" amongst others.[16]

North America

Further information, see North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office

Canadian ELA

The first time it was known that an "Earth Liberation" action had happened in North America, was in 1995, in Canada, by a group calling itself the Earth Liberation Army (ELA). [24] The name has since been reused[25] and they were considered by the European Elves at the time to be "transatlantic cousins". On the 19th June 1995, the ELA burned down a wildlife museum and damaged a hunting lodge in British Columbia.[26]

United States

On Columbus Day 1996, activists spraypainted "504 years of genocide" and "ELF" on the walls of a public relations ofice, as well as a McDonalds restaurant in Oregon, making the actions the very first ELF actions known in the United States. The same restaurant then had its locks glued and spraypainted again, but this time in support of the British McLibel Two, two activists who had distributed anti-McDonalds leaflets. The next day, it was reported that another two McDonalds restaurants, again in Oregon, had their locks glued by ELF activists.[27][26] The only other reported action of the year was on Christmas Day, when a fur farm was raided in Michigan and 150 mink released into the wild by a group calling themselves Great Lakes ELF.[28]

Police response, and convictions

First ELF prisoner

In 1994, Dutch authorities and police made claims that British EF! activists were travelling abroad to cause sabotage, which were disputed by the organization, with later that year the first ELP activist being caught and later charged. Known as Paul S., he was arrested and accused of carrying out an 18th-month campaign of vandalism in Holland against road construction sites. The Dutch government attempted to declare him insane, because of his inability to provide a political reason for his actions, other than his care for the environment. This was unsucessful and the prisoner was sentenced to three years for damaging property.[3]

British police raids

Due to the increased popularity of the environmental movement, as well as the animal liberation movement and estimates that five ALF occured every per day, police carried out a series of raids against animal rights and environmental activists. In total, there were 55 homes raided against suspected ALF and ELF activists, including an individual in Italy. The police had not managed to charge anyone with any illegal activities, until on January 16th, 1996, when six men were charged for a five year ALF/ELF campaign. They were sentenced a year later each to three years for conspiracy to incite direct action in the name of animal and earth liberation.[3]

Operation Backfire/Green Scare

File:Greenscareleaflet.jpg
Green Scare leaflet
Main articles: Operation Backfire (FBI) and Green Scare

The term Green Scare, alluding to the Red Scares, periods of fear over communist infiltration of U.S. society, is a term popularized by environmental activists to refer to legal action by the U.S. government against the radical environmentalist movement.

It is first known to have appeared in 2002 in the wake of the February 12 congressional hearings titled "The Threat of Eco-Terrorism" which discussed groups including the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).[29] In late 2005 and early 2006, as part of Operation Backfire, US grand juries indicted a total of 18 activists on a range of charges related to "violent acts in the name of animal rights and environmental causes".[30] According to the FBI, many of these acts were carried out on behalf of the ELF.[31]

Cooperation with the ALF

Main articles: Animal Liberation Front and List of acts claimed by the ALF
Further information, see Animal liberation movement

History

File:EarthLiberationFrontArson.gif
ALF/ELF arson at a restaurant.

Steven Best writes that the first established ALF and ELF action was established on March 14th 1997, when the "Animal Liberation Front - Eco-Animal Defense Unit" claimed the spiking of 47 trees in a clearcut area, Oregeon. This was only a few months after the fur farm had been raided by the Great Lakes ELF, which also highlighted the overlap in direct action for animal rights and environmentalism.[28] Despite the long name, the groups intention was to state that the farm they had raided was a joint effort between members of the Animal and Earth Liberation Front.

Five days later, the "Bay Area Cell of the Earth and Animal Liberation Front" claimed the fire bombing of the University of California, an animal research laboratory that was still under construction at the time.[32] Also later that year, on November 29th, there was another joint ALF & ELF claim, this time releasing 500 wild horses and torching the Bureau of Land Management in Burns, in protest of BLM's intention to round up the wild horses and process them for the sale of horsemeat.[28][33]

However, this claim contradicts the Southern Poverty Law Center, which states that the first incident of cooperation between the two movements was 6 months prior to these events in October 1996, when the ALF & ELF were both responsible for firebombing a Forest Service truck in Detroit. Sometime later, on March 11th 1997, four were trucks torched, costing the Agricultural Fur Breeders Co-Op $1 million in damages, this action was also claimed by the ALF & ELF.[32]

None the less, the concept was established and a year later, on the 21st June 1998, the United States Forest Service wildlife research centre near Olympia in Washington was set on fire with "Eco-Defense" and "Earth Liberation" spray painted on construction machinery, which had recieved extensive damage in New Jersey on the 2nd July. Both the actions were claimed jointly by the ALF & ELF, and were estimated to of caused one of the worst damages yet, estimed at $1.9 million. The same claim was made when 310 animals were taken from a fur farm involved in experimental research based in Madison, Wisconsin, which were stolen the day later.[34][33]

One individual has since been charged with an ALF & ELF action, long time animal liberationist and environmentalist[35] Darren Thurston was sentenced in May 2007 to 37 months in prison for an arson at the Bureau of Land Management, a wild horse facility in Lichtfield. [36][37]

Philosophy

Further information, see Animal rights and Deep ecology
  • The name "Animal & Earth Liberation Front" or "Earth & Animal Liberation Front" (ALF and ELF, respectively) is used by radical environmentalists when engaging in direct action such as liberating animals whilst attempting to protect the earth by using property destruction. This is done within the guidelines of the Animal/Earth Liberation Front, in order to claim the action by both groups.[28][38]
  • The concept is most commonly used when undertaking an animal liberation action, that is inclusively an environmental issue. Or alternatively an ELF action that includes in some way liberating or rescuing animals; for example actions to protect the forests. [4][5]

The ELF is considered to be the ALF's younger sister,[4] due to the fact that the guidelines, as well as the name itself, was derived from the movement.[5] It is further noted that despite the movements only forming alliances in 1996/1997, activists such as Rod Coronado were known to be active in both the ALF and ELF dating back before the names were officially used together.[39]

Activists claiming actions by both groups jointly has appeared across the globe, nearly as much as the ELF has, causing more activists from the ALF and other movements to become involved; believing in "No Compromise in Defence of Mother Earth",[34] a popular slogan Earth First! used and populated in the 1980s.[40]

  • Folk musician David Rovics performs a song dedicated to the ELF called "Song for the Earth Liberation Front"[41] as well as a song about accused ELF activist, Jeffrey Luers titled "Free", after Luers' nickname.[42]
  • In the 2004 novel by Michael Crichton, State of Fear, a fictional group based on the Earth Liberation Front, but called the Environmental Liberation Front instead, is the main villain.
  • In the novel by Nicholas Evans, The Divide, a main character is involved in ELF activities.

Criticism

The FBI designated the ELF as "eco-terrorists."[9] Representative Scott McInnis, then chairman of the US House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, subpoenaed Craig Rosebraugh in an effort to investigate the ELF's activities. On hearing Rosebraugh's testimony, McInnis suggested it was "luck" no one has been killed by an ELF (or ALF) attack.[43]

Referring to the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front, ATF Deputy Assistant Director Carson Carrol has said, "The most worrisome trend to law enforcement and private industry alike has been the increase in willingness by these movements to resort to the use of incendiary and explosive devices."[44]

It has also been claimed the ELF's actions harm the environment, a spokesman for the Vail Ski Resort, which the ELF fire bombed in 1998 in protest of a planned extension, explained, "more logs were used to rebuild the resort than were cut for the [original] expansion".[43] In 2001 the ELF targeted the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture in with the aim of disrupting research into genetic engineering. However, the targeted researcher was investigating hybridization in poplar trees, and the resulting fire killed a significant number of endangered plants.[45]

ELF was also featured in commentator Bernard Goldberg's book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America as #23, "The Unknown American Terrorist". They were listed and criticised for damaging property and acting like a terrorist group in the name of saving the environment.[46]

Further reading

  • Best, Steven and Nocella, Anthony J. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, AK Press, 2006. ISBN 1-904859-56-9
  • Leslie Pickering. Earth Liberation Front: 1997-2002, Arissa Media Group, 2006. ISBN 0-974288-40-3.
  • Rosebraugh, Craig. Burning Rage of a Dying Planet: Speaking for the Earth Liberation Front Lantern Books, 2004. ISBN 1-59056-064-7

See also

Members

References

  1. ^ a b Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p.50. Cite error: The named reference "sf1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ SUV Armageddon Approaching?, Car Keys, 29th August 2003.
  3. ^ a b c d Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 52 & 53.
  4. ^ a b c Updates from the Frontlines: ALF and ELF, San Diego Indymedia, January 10th 2003.
  5. ^ a b c d Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 49.
  6. ^ Article:405, Arkangel
  7. ^ Earth Liberation Front is now FBI's No. 1 Domestic Terrorist Threat
  8. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Congressional Testimony
  9. ^ a b Eco-vigilantes: All in 'The Family?, Christian Science Monitor, January 20th 2006.
  10. ^ What is the Earth Liberation Front?, Satya, March 2004.
  11. ^ ATF address domestic terrorism, FBI, May 19, 2005.]
  12. ^ Burning Rage, Ed Bradley Reports On Extremists Now Deemed Biggest Domestic Terror Threat - CBS News
  13. ^ a b Profile: Earth Liberation Front, MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base.
  14. ^ Collectively written. Earth First! National Meeting, Brighton, 1992.
  15. ^ MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
  16. ^ a b Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 54. Cite error: The named reference "sb7" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  17. ^ Paul Watson: Assault on the foundations of freedom - 27 Feb 2006 - NZ Herald: World / International News
  18. ^ portland imc - 2006.02.15 - Craig Subpoenaed to Federal Grand Jury in Eugene; ELF Investigation Continues
  19. ^ LA Weekly - News - Earth to ELF: Come In, Please - Judith Lewis - The Essential Online Resource for Los Angeles
  20. ^ FIRE, Greenfield.
  21. ^ Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 51 & 52.
  22. ^ Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 47.
  23. ^ Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 52.
  24. ^ Globe and Mail, Toronto, 12 July 1995.
  25. ^ Earth Liberation Army Claims Responsibility For SUV Firebombing, Free Republic, January 4th 2003.
  26. ^ a b Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 55.
  27. ^ Diary of Actions of the Earth Liberation Front 1996-2001, reposted by Portland Indymedia.
  28. ^ a b c d Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 56.
  29. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Congressional Testimony
  30. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Major Executive Speeches - January 20, 2006
  31. ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation - Press Room - Headline Archives - Eco-Terror Indictments
  32. ^ a b Eco-Violence: The Record, Southern Poverty Law Center.
  33. ^ a b Earth Liberation Front Timeline (Where did the website go?, Portland Indymedia, 1992-2001.
  34. ^ a b Best, Steven and Best & Nocella. Igniting a Revolution: Voices in Defense of the Earth, Lantern Books, 2006, p. 57.
  35. ^ Animal rights activist accused of attacks in five American states, AnimalLiberationFront.com, January 21st 2006.
  36. ^ Darren Thurston Support Update #12, Portland Indymedia, July 2006.
  37. ^ Free Darren, Darren Thuston Support.
  38. ^ Archives, Food Safety, June 13th 2001.
  39. ^ Toni Bartone. Total Liberation in Erie, Thomas Merton Center.
  40. ^ No Compromise in Defence of Mother Earth", Earth First!.
  41. ^ David Rovics, Lyrics
  42. ^ portland imc - 2004.12.25 - Free [Song for Jeff Luers] by David Rovics
  43. ^ a b Stop Eco-Violence
  44. ^ CNN.com - FBI, ATF address domestic terrorism - May 19, 2005
  45. ^ Museum Security Mailinglist Reports
  46. ^ 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America. Who? Why?
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