Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues, Media on Oct 5th, 2009
Jake Ferguson was the lead arsonist in the “Operation Backfire” Earth Liberation Front actions in the Northwest. He was involved in more than a dozen arsons, more crimes than any other defendant. But he is walking the streets, free, because he became a government informant. He wore a wire and entrapped his friends into make [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Federal Terrorism Laws, Legal Issues, Legislation, Prisoner Support on Sep 30th, 2009
Four animal rights activists are facing charges under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act for chanting, demonstrating with masks covering their faces, and chalking defamatory slogans on the sidewalk. If convicted, the “AETA 4,”—Joseph Buddenburg, Maryam Khajavi, Nathan Pope, and Adriana Stumpo—could be sentenced to 5-10 years in prison.
The AETA 4 case is a startling example [...]
Posted in Federal Terrorism Laws, Legislation, Prisoner Support on Mar 18th, 2009
Two federal Green Scare prisoners, Jonathan Paul and Daniel McGowan.I have sat through so many sentencing hearings for environmentalists and animal rights activists when the judges and prosecutors have noted, and even applauded, how activists are not like “typical” defendants. By this, they mean that the defendants have solid education backgrounds (some even pursuing law [...]
Posted in Legal Issues, Terrorism Definitions on Mar 2nd, 2009
While the FBI targets environmentalists, Osama bin Laden remains free.An Al-Qaeda operative charged with creating a weapon of mass destruction has received a lesser prison sentence than an environmentalist who set fire to an empty building.
Christopher Paul, aka “Abdul Malek,” is an Ohio native who joined Al Qaeda in the early 90s. According to the [...]
Posted in Legal Issues, Opposition, Prisoner Support on Feb 5th, 2009
Marie MasonI’ve written a lot of articles like this, when prison sentences are handed down to activists who have been labeled “terrorists” for property crimes, and instead of getting easier it just keeps getting harder. It’s getting harder to write about this rationally, calmly. These cases are getting worse, folks. The government is growing increasingly [...]
Posted in Activism & Activists' Response, Legal Issues on Jul 23rd, 2008
As both the US and UK governments (and many others) are cracking down on animal rights and environmental activists, labeling them as terrorists and hitting them with outrageous prison sentences, supporters say it is for a few reasons. First, they say that these activists are national security threats. Second, they say that this boot-on-the-throat approach [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues on Jun 19th, 2008
From The Seattle Times:
The woman convicted in an ecoterror attack at the University of Washington has been sentenced to six years in prison.
TACOMA, Wash. -The woman convicted in an ecoterror attack at the University of Washington has been sentenced to six years in prison.
KIRO-TV reports that Briana Waters asked for mercy because she has a [...]
Posted in Legal Issues, Life as a Terrorist on May 9th, 2008
Eric McDavid was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison on Thursday, as a “terrorist,” for conspiring to sabotage federal facilities in the name of the environment.
Nearly 20 years.
That number is shocking enough, considering that the average sentence for violent offenders, in 2004, was about 7.6 years.
That number is shocking enough, considering that [...]
Posted in Activists Arrested, Legal Issues on Aug 2nd, 2007
A federal judge sentenced Jonathan Paul to four years and three months in prison for his role in a 1997 fire that destroyed the Cavel West horsemeat packing plant in Redmond, Ore. He had confessed to helping make the diesel and soap mixture, the s0-called “vegan Jell-O,” that was used, and acting as a lookout. [...]
Posted in Legal Issues on Jul 28th, 2007
From Rocky Mountain News:
A man who set firebombs in seven large SUVs last March pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison Wednesday.
Grant Barnes, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of using an incendiary device and one count of second-degree arson.
Barnes, suspected of using the methods of the eco-terrorist group Earth Liberation Front, [...]
The War on Terrorism has come home. Corporations and politicians are labeling activists "eco-terrorists" and national security threats. Think red-baiting, with a green twist. Here you'll find original reporting and analysis of the Green Scare, and history repeating itself.