Operation Backfire

Before the Smoke Even Clears in Seattle, Bringing Out the T-Word

UPDATE: This blog post was also published by Counterpunch, on March 07, 2008. Multi-million dollar mansions in a Seattle suburb–each about 4,200-4,750 square feet, going for about $2 million a pop, touted as “green”– were burned Monday. About $7 million in damage on the “Street of Dreams.” Nobody injured, nobody home. But before the smoke […]

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Interview with “The Abolitionist” on “Eco-terrorism” Legislation

This interview is in the latest issue of The Abolitionist (Australia). I spoke with Claudette Vaughan, the chief editor, about the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, the “Green Scare,” and the politics of fear. Here it is below, and also be sure to check out the other articles on their site. Abolitionist: What did you say […]

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Good Refresher on “Operation Backfire” in the Indypendent

Considering that the “eco-terrorism” arrests dubbed “Operation Backfire” didn’t even make it into the local paper’s top 20 news stories of 2007, and the National Association of Manufacturers claims “boy, we sure didn’t hear about this” (which I find very, very hard to believe), I thought I’d highlight a good series of background articles on […]

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“Number One Terrorism Threat” Doesn’t Make Top 20 News Stories of 2007

The FBI says “The No. 1 domestic terrorism threat is the eco-terrorism, animal-rights movement.” And when the Feds rounded up environmental advocates as part of “Operation Backfire,” Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said, “In all, their trail of destruction across the Pacific Northwest and beyond resulted in millions of dollars of property damage. Today’s indictment is […]

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Anniversaries of “Operation Backfire” and SHAC 7 Cases: What Are You Planning?

Last year folks around the world organized 42 events in 29 cities to raise awareness of the “Green Scare,” and the labeling of environmental advocates as “eco-terrorists.” Among the highlights were speaking events, benefit concerts, protests, letter writing parties and many other creative ways to build community and fight back the fear-mongering. December 7th marks […]

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Paul Sentenced to 4 Years… and a Book Report

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. […]

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“Cooperator,” “Snitch,” or Something Else?

Darren Thurston’s support committee has posted an open letter responding to what seems to be widespread condemnation by other activists that Thurston and others “snitched,” or cooperated with the government (as opposed to the non-cooperating defendants), in hopes of receiving reduced sentences in the Operation Backfire cases. Here’s an excerpt, or also take a look […]

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Fear and Rage: Responding to the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and the Green Scare

A few folks asked that I post this, so here goes. It’s the audio and text from the plenary speech I gave at the national animal rights conference in Los Angeles, about how people choose respond to the fear created by the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, “terrorism enhancements” and the Green Scare more broadly. Because […]

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Editorial in ‘Nature’ Against Green Scare

Nature has an editorial in the latest issue against “terrorism enhancement” in the cases out West, and also more broadly against the “eco-terrorism” rhetoric we’ve been seeing in legislation like the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. This is big breakthrough, especially considering the source. An excerpt: But ‘terrorist’ is a word so debased and loaded by […]

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First Operation Backfire Defendant Sentenced as “Terrorist”

A federal judge labeled property destruction in the name of the environment “terrorism” yesterday and sentenced the first of the Operation Backfire defendants to 13 years in prison. Activists around the country– and particularly the remaining nine defendants– had been watching the sentencing very carefully, because the judge’s tenor may foreshadow the remaining court dates. […]

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