Tag: Earth Liberation Front

Animal Rights Activist's Home Raided in San Diego Fire Case

Law enforcement officials investigating a San Diego fire that destroyed a five-story apartment complex on August 1 raided the home of animal rights activists David Agranoff and Cari Beltane on August 14.

Agranoff and Beltane run an animal rights group called Compassion for Farm Animals. In May 2003, Agranoff was forced to submit hair, saliva and fingerprints to a Indiana grand jury investigating an arson at an Indiana poultry case.

Agranoff and Beltane later led a protest attended by about 30 activists complaining of the “harassment” they faced from police. Agranoff said at the protest,

We are not guilty of anything. Neither was Martin Luther King when he was targeted by the FBI. People have the right to an opinion without being subject to criminal investigation.

Most news outlets, however, failed to note that Agranoff has faced legal troubles before this related to his animal rights activism. In 1996, Agranoff, then 22, was sentenced to 6 months in jail and fined $1,000 after being convicted of resisting arrest and unlawful assembly during a protest at a New York fur store. At the same trial, Nicole Rogers, 19, was sentenced to two months in jail and a $500 fine, and Christopher Tarbell, 20, to one month in jail and a $500 fine for trespassing and unlawful assembly.

Agranoff’s sentence was thrown out on appeal to the New York State Supreme Court, but Rogers and Tarbell’s sentences were affirmed.

Oddly enough at trial, lawyers for the trio complained that they were being unfairly associated with Anima Liberation Front-style actions, so it was a bit surprising to see that among other things that apparently drew the attention of law enforcement to Agranoff is his role in arranging an appearance of Rodney Coronado to speak in San Diego the day of the arson.

Source:

Judge Sentences Fur Protesters To Jail Three Animal-Rights Activists Were Convicted Of Misdemeanors For Their Actions During A Demonstration At Georgio’s Furs. The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), August 2, 1996.

Animal Rights Activist Sentenced To 7 Months Convictions Of Two Other Members Of The Group In Separate Incident Upheld. Jim O’Hara, The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), March 1, 1997.

Agents raid activists’ home in arson probe. San Diego Union-Tribune, August 2, 2003.

They call search by agents harassment. Ray Hubbard, San Diego Union-Tribune, August 24, 2003.

ELF Extremists Destroy Dozens of SUVs in California

On August 22, 2003, Earth Liberation Front extremists set fires that damaged or destroyed dozens of SUVs at a California car dealership.

According to the Associated Press, the 5 a.m. arson resulted in at least $1 million in damage to about 20 vehicles, mostly Hummers. The fires also destroyed a warehouse.

Activists spray painted the site with graffiti and ELF-related slogans.

The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were both involved in investigating the fire. FBI spokeswoman Cheryl Mimura told the Associated Press,

Since they’re (ELF) considered an extremist movement, by definition it falls under possible domestic terrorism violation.

Assistant fire chief and fire marshal Rick Genovese noted that if the group took its anti-pollution slogans seriously, the fire was counter-productive,

There’s a lot more pollutants from the fire than the vehicles would pollute during their lifetime. There’s hundreds of tons of pollutants that were spilled off.

Ah, but the point of ELF actions are to generate publicity and feed the egos of those committing the actions. Who cares about generating pollution or endangering people when activists need to grab some headlines?

Source:

SUVs burned as four California dealerships vandalized. Nada El Sawy, Associated Press, August 22, 2003.

Center for Consumer Freedom: Treat PETA Like Other Charities Who Support Terrorism

The Center for Consumer Freedom issued a press release on August 4 urging the government to treat People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals the same as other charities which have been accused of funneling money to terrorist organizations.

According to its press release,

As the frightening images of a massive August 2nd arson are seared into the minds of San Diego residents, many are left to wonder just who the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is and who pays its bills. As law enforcement begins to look for answers, members of the public should know that the shadowy ELF enjoys financial backing from at least one tax-exempt, above-ground group — the activists at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

. . .

“Federal law enforcement has already shut down several American nonprofits because of their financial ties with overseas terrorists,” said David Martosko, Director of Research at the Center for Consumer Freedom. “Terrorism is terrorism, whether it’s international or domestic. PETA is funneling money to terrorists, and they shouldn’t be treated any differently.”

Source:

PETA Bankrolling Terrorist Group ELF. PRN Newsire, August 4, 2003.

Michael James Scarpitti (AKA Tre Arrow) Remains Loose One Year Later

In August 2002 a Portland, Oregon grand jury indicted Michael James Scarpitti (AKA Tre Arrow) and three others for their role in a June 2001 arson attack at a logging company. Although Scarpitti was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted List in December 2002, so far Scarpitti has eluded capture.

Police in Tigard, Oregon, spent a couple hours in early August searching a wooded area near a mall after a man reported seeing Scarpitti in the area. The witness said he recognized Scarpitti from pictures in the media. The witness said Scarpitti was walking with another man, but the search was called off after two hours without finding the fugitive.

One of Scarpitti’s alleged accomplices, Jacob D.B. Sherman, plead guilty in December 2002 for his role in that and another fire, and will be sentenced in September. He is expected to receive about three-and-a-half years for the arson.

With Scarpitti on the run, Sherman apparently used the Tre-made-me-do-it defense, with The Oregonian reporting that,

Federal court papers indicate that Arrow helped mold Sherman in his likeness, radicalizing the younger man’s environmentalism. And aside from environmental beliefs, Sherman followed Arrow in adopting a vegan diet, shunning bathing and going barefoot.

Scarpitti was apparently in excellent physical health and used to spending days and even weeks at a time in trees to protest logging, so there is some speculation that he may be emulating recently captured fugitive Eric Rudolph in remaining as much as possible in wooded areas where he is less likely to be spotted.

There is a $25,000 reward for anyone who offers information leading to the capture of Scarpitti. People with such information should call their local FBI office.

Sources:

FBI still chasing Tre Arrow. Bryan Denson, The Oregonian, August 11, 2003.

Earth Liberation Front Claims Credit for $50 Million Fire

Earth Liberation Front extremists carried out their most expensive arson to date in early August when they set fire to a five-story apartment complex under construction. Estimates of the total damage was $50 million.

A 12-foot banner reading “If you build it, we will burn it” and the ELF initials was found at the scene.

About 400 people had to be evacuated from surrounding apartment complexes as the 3 a.m. fire raged.

By coincidence, Rodney Coronado just happened to be giving a speech in San Diego the same evening the fire was set, and numerous media outlets sought out the convicted arsonist for his views on the attack. The Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise compiled a list of quotes of Coronado from various media sources,

  • “I disagree with the FBI’s declaration that ELF is a terrorist organization. I consider a terrorist to be somebody who kills people.”
  • “The fire was a message. The first intent is obviously to cause economic hardship to companies, individuals responsible for destroying the environment.”
  • “I would rather see an apartment complex burn to the ground than developers making money off the environment.”
  • “Regardless of how people feel about these actions, they do help bring the issue to the public’s attention and maybe when it’s enough in the public’s attention that’s when governments will be called upon to do something about it.”

Sources:

Earth Liberation Front claims responsibility for San Diego arson. Seth Hettena, Associated Press, August 18, 2003.

The Center View: Earth Liberation Front commits most dangerous arson yet. Press Release, Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, August 1-4, 2003.

Earth Liberation Front Activists Vandalize Connecticut Home

A newly-constructed home in South Windsor, Connecticut, was vandalized by Earth Liberation Front extremists who spay-painted slogans such as “ELF” and “No Sprawl” on the house.

A relatively minor event, except as an illustration of just how little local law enforcement understands the dynamics of such groups. Here’s The Hartford Courant’s quote from the local police chief,

Town Police Chief Gary K. Tyler dismissed the possibility of a link to the organization [ELF].

“It wouldn’t surprise me if some kids saw [the group] on the Internet or hear it from their parents,” Tyler said.

Sgt. Matthew D. Reed, police spokesman, said there was no reason to belive that an organized group was responsible for the vandalism. “But anything is possible,” he added.

Police seem unable to grasp with the concept of an un-organized group, such as ELF, and as long as they are unable to understand that none of these acts are committed by some sort of organized group of activists, extremists who carry out these crimes will be at a distinct advantage.

Source:

Group implicated in vandalism. Dan Uhlinger, Hartford Courant, July 3, 2003.