Earth Liberation Front: ELF Origins, Structure & Eco-Terrorism

Introduction

Crime and criminal activities have been witnessed for centuries across societies throughout the world, and they have only accelerated with time. Numerous people have become associated with extremist groups engaged in illegal activities with negative impacts on society. Terrorist activities have thus become increasingly prevalent in the everyday life of individuals.

These activities are not confined to any one country or civilization; rather, they are witnessed on a universal basis. People in developing nations and underdeveloped countries alike have suffered their adverse effects. Extremist, revolutionary, and terrorist groups are typically formed to accomplish specific agendas, and in doing so they bring destruction to human civilization and property.

In this context, Earth Liberation Front (ELF) has been observed as one of the extremist groups performing illegal activities that have affected a large percentage of the population across various countries. Earth Liberation Front — also referred to as "the Elves" — is a cluster of independent individuals associated with impeding and halting damage being done to the environment and nature. In order to prevent environmental destruction, the group inflicts economic damage and disruption in the form of damage to various kinds of properties (Rosebraugh, 2004).

Earth Liberation Front is not an old extremist group; its foundations were laid in the latter years of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, the movement expanded rapidly to various parts of the world. Today it operates on a global basis, with more than fifteen countries reporting acts of economic sabotage attributed to it. Media and television programs in the early years of the twenty-first century were key sources through which the general public gained awareness of the movement. ELF gained additional public attention when a documentary about the group was nominated for awards. Moreover, ELF has been closely correlated and collaborative with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), and is therefore widely considered a descendant of ALF (Rosebraugh, 2004).

Supporters of the movement claim it is an eco-defense group safeguarding the environment and ecosystem from devastation wrought in the name of advancement and innovation. Governmental counter-terrorist agencies — such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) — categorize ELF as an eco-terrorist group whose members spread domestic terror and have become a significant threat within the United States (Rosebraugh, 2004).

This case study analyzes the movement in depth and provides a comprehensive assessment of the threats posed by this extremist group, as well as a discussion of the effectiveness of policies designed to combat it.

ELF's Origin

The original Earth Liberation Front was established approximately thirty-four years before this writing, in the latter years of the 1970s, under the name Environmental Life Force (ELF). John Hanna has been identified as the originator and founding father of the concept. The movement was initiated with the aim of ending guerrilla attacks that peaked at that time. Unfortunately, it received an overwhelmingly negative response from the general public and was unable to fulfill the goals it had defined, causing the original ELF to collapse within a very short time (Best & Nocella, 2006).

A successor movement emerged several years later that continued the beliefs and values of the Environmental Life Force. Renamed Earth Liberation Front, this new movement came into existence in the early 1990s, initiating its operations from England, and it is the version that continues to operate today, fighting to save the environment from destruction (Best & Nocella, 2006).

The members of the new ELF adopted the same philosophies, plans, strategies, tactics, and campaigns as the original movement, making it a mirror image of the old ELF in terms of environmental protection. Due to a strong collaboration with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), these two movements have also been considered sister organizations. The new version of the movement gained popularity quickly, and an increasing number of people expressed interest in joining (Best & Nocella, 2006; Leader & Probst, 2003).

The earliest prominent action occurred within two years of the movement's establishment — prior to that, no actions were documented or gained significant attention. After a few operations that caused substantial financial losses in the UK, the movement received coverage in a magazine that also outlined the objectives on which ELF members focused (Best & Nocella, 2006).

The ELF soon expanded its operations across Europe, including into Holland, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Germany, France, Spain, and beyond. This expansion was not limited to Europe; members of the movement became international and initiated operations in many other parts of the world as well (Best & Nocella, 2006).

The United States became another prime target nation for the ELF movement, which spread its activities there from the mid-1990s. Continued acts of property damage brought the group national attention and earned it the label of "eco-terrorists." Since then, the ELF movement has become a growing threat to domestic security in the United States (Best & Nocella, 2006).

Criminal activities that have come to light over two decades of ELF operations include vandalism, arson, theft, sabotage, and more. Reported incidents across Europe include vandalizing well-known fast-food restaurants, sabotaging airports with sophisticated vehicles in Germany, Holland, and Poland, and setting a wildlife museum on fire in British Columbia. In the United States, the group used diverse tactics such as spray-painting and gluing the locks of well-known restaurants, throwing incendiary cocktails at buildings, attacking railway lines in response to deforestation caused by construction, and burning automobile dealerships (Best & Nocella, 2006).

All activities carried out by the ELF movement were intended to make countries recognize the destruction and damage they are causing to the environment. Property damage has been the group's most powerful strategy for inflicting significant financial losses on targeted nations (Best & Nocella, 2006).

ELF's Structure and Leadership

Earth Liberation Front is a collective movement in which a number of independent individuals are associated. The group has no centralized location. It is a secretive and subversive international organization whose leadership, control, and chain of command are purely decentralized, with no official, formal, or central management. Members work autonomously and independently, and no individual within the group holds the title of leader. Members typically execute operations in small sub-groups or cells. All financial needs are fulfilled from within the movement itself, with no external source providing financial support (Leader & Probst, 2003).

The movement is founded not on a designed organizational structure but on an ideology. A set of principles serves as the guiding rules for members. Any individual who sincerely believes in the philosophy of the movement may join or leave at will, which demonstrates that there is no official membership process (Leader & Probst, 2003).

ELF has been able to carry out its operations effectively precisely because of its decentralized structure and absence of a hierarchical command. Working underground with autonomous members means the movement cannot be completely shut down: even if counter-terrorist agencies infiltrate or capture one cell, the movement continues its operations (Leader & Probst, 2003).

In terms of activities, Earth Liberation Front is similar to other terrorist and extremist groups in that its members form the networks through which violence is executed. However, ELF differs markedly from other extremist or mujahidin groups in its hierarchy, command structure, and leadership. Unlike Osama bin Laden — the formal leader of a mujahidin group — ELF has no formal or centralized leader to control or govern its members. Individuals and cells associated with the movement work separately and independently without official directives from any leadership (Ferrante, 2010).

Members are dedicated to direct action and initiate, plan, and carry out rebellious activities on their own, guided solely by organizational goals. While decentralized leadership benefits members in executing operations, it presents an intense challenge to law enforcement agencies, which cannot completely stop the group's activities because there is no central point to target (Ferrante, 2010).

The ELF operates in support of various other network groups. Because no formal membership exists, estimating the total number of people involved is difficult. Records indicate that members operate throughout the United States, in Canada, and across Europe. Over time, ELF has steadily expanded its operations and activities around the world (Leader & Probst, 2003).

Conclusion

With the increased rate of criminal activities over the years, many extremist groups in modern times have emerged and elevated the rate of terrorism. The prime cause around which extremist groups organize criminal actions is typically the protection of the environment and animals. Extremist groups and their activities have been steadily increasing since the last several years in the United States and many other parts of the world. Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is one such extremist group — also known as eco-terrorists — that initiated its operations within the last decade of the twentieth century.

Analysis of the ELF movement reveals that the group's primary objective is to destroy valuable properties as a means of protesting against environmental destruction. Research laboratories, restaurants, automobile franchises, fur farms, luxury homes, private properties, and similar sites are the group's primary targets. The principal tactics used to destroy properties include arson, vandalism, theft, and intimidation. The members of the movement intend to inflict economic and financial losses on the nation and its people so as to force recognition of the environmental destruction being caused.

The United States has developed agencies to combat eco-terrorism and its related activities. Policies and plans have been continuously enhanced to achieve more effective results. Over two decades of confronting eco-terrorism, the FBI has succeeded in arresting and prosecuting members of the ELF movement so that strict actions can be taken against them.

Combating the ELF movement has become one of the significant priorities for nations around the world in order to maintain harmony and peace. Furthermore, eco-terrorism generates financial loss as its ultimate outcome, destabilizing the economic conditions of affected countries. It is therefore imperative that these activities be brought to an end.

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