About two years ago there was a string of news stories about a fight in California between developers and environmental activists; at one point, someone planted endangered plants in the area, and developers responded by calling it an act of “eco-terrorism.” (Here’s one old news clip I was able to find.) So I got a kick out of this video about “guerilla gardening.” I can only imagine how those same developers would respond to guerilla gardeners armed with “seed bombs” (a mixture of clay, soil and seeds good for drive-by plantings–“the guerilla gardener’s weapon of mass creation”).
This got me thinking, though, about the Operation Backfire cases out West. As part of the government’s case, as detailed in court documents and court statements, prosecutors mentioned similar “guerilla gardening” as examples of the defendants long history of criminal behavior and “terrorism.” Is sneaking around in the middle of the night, pulling up genetically-engineered plants, much different than digging up public property and planting vegetables? Both are property destruction, both are illegal, and both are actions either against private corporations or the state.
But, in the case of Daniel McGowan and others, its “eco-terrorism.” And in this case… it’s sponsored by Adidas.