Earth Liberation Front: Eco-Terrorism, Arsons, and the FBI

Introduction to the Earth Liberation Front

There are many people and groups who claim responsibility for the Earth Liberation Front's (ELF) development. The group is comprised of loosely affiliated or autonomous cells that are only bound by the idea that they can move beyond civil disobedience and accept more contentious tactics in defense of their environmental causes. This group was one of the organizations that helped coin the label "eco-terrorist," which later became a mainstream designation for such offenders. The ELF was considered one of the first eco-terrorist groups and was at one time labeled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the most dangerous domestic terror group in the United States.

This analysis provides a background on eco-terrorism followed by more specific information about the ELF and the actions the group has claimed responsibility for, including a string of arsons. It has been estimated that collectively groups such as the ELF and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) have caused in excess of one hundred million dollars in damages through acts of vandalism and harassment. A number of terrorist convictions have also arisen from ELF members being prosecuted in federal courts.

Most of the convictions that have occurred stem from one of the groups that formed in the Northwestern United States as an offshoot of Earth First. A documentary was produced that follows the stories, trials, and convictions of some of these members, which will be discussed later in this analysis. There is some controversy regarding whether this group should be classified as a terrorist organization, due to the fact that, despite hundreds of actions, there has been no injury or loss of life. The group has limited its destructive actions to property damage.

Eco-Terrorism: Definition and Context

Terrorism can mean different things to different people. As one law enforcement official observed in the documentary If a Tree Falls, "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." Some terrorists are motivated by religion, nationalism, ideology, or social cause, among other motivations. It is therefore important to develop a working definition of what terrorism means for the purpose of analysis. The documentary discussed later in this paper illustrates some of the controversy found in labeling eco-terrorists in the same manner that other types of terrorists are labeled under the law. This controversy also has implications for the detention and housing of criminals following their convictions. The film follows an eco-terrorist who would have benefited in his prison arrangement had he been prosecuted as an arsonist rather than receiving a terrorist conviction.

Terrorism is defined in many different ways by different groups and carries a subjective component. The FBI's definition of domestic terrorism in the U.S. Code holds that "domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics (Federal Bureau of Investigation, N.d.):

1. Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law;
2. Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
3. Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.

The FBI defines eco-terrorism as the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against innocent victims or property by an environmentally-oriented, subnational group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature (Jarboe, 2002). Different types of terrorism are labeled according to what the terrorists are trying to defend. The "eco" designation in the eco-terrorism label is intended to indicate that this type of terrorist is motivated by the defense of the environment. Related subgroups include agri-terrorists (focused on agriculture) and other specific categories.

Works Cited

Earth Liberation Front. (N.d.). Earth Liberation Front. Retrieved from http://earth-liberation-front.com/

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (N.d.). Definitions of terrorism in the U.S. Code. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition

Jarboe, J. (2002, February 12). Testimony before the House Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/the-threat-of-eco-terrorism

Libcom.org. (2012, January 12). If a tree falls: A story of the Earth Liberation Front (documentary). Retrieved from http://libcom.org/blog/if-tree-falls-story-earth-liberation-front-documentary-12012012

McGowan, D. (2013, April 1). Court documents prove I was sent to Communication Management Units (CMU) for my political speech. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-mcgowan/communication-management-units_b_2944580.html

Potter, W. (N.d.). SHAC 7. Retrieved from Green is the New Red:

Southern Poverty Law Center. (2002, Fall). Eco-violence: The record. Intelligence Report. Retrieved from