The Earth Liberation Front Incident Timeline

Date

Fire?

Description of Incident

December 29, 2000

MOUNT SINAI-LONG ISLAND, NY - The Earth Liberation Front (E.L.F.) has officially claimed responsibility for burning down four new luxury homes at Island Estates in Mount Sinai, Long Island on December 29, 2000. Damages estimates have soared to $2 million. 

December 22, 2000

Phoenix, Arizona - A luxury home that burned to the to the ground marked the eighth such blaze in the area in three years. “If you build it again, we will burn it again” was scrawled across a nearby sign.

December 13, 2000

New York – Members of ELK group claimed responsibility for setting a fire to stop a condominium development in Middle Island.

December 8, 2000.

Boulder, Colorado - Earth Liberation Front said it torched a mansion in retaliation for Coloradans' defeat of a growth-control measure — Amendment 24 — in the Nov. 7 election. The group's claim of destroying a $2.4 million home by arson near Niwot is suspect, but it could be valid, Boulder County Sheriff George Epp said.

February 10, 2000

Minnesota - The Earth Liberation Front claims credit for sabotage of genetic engineering at University of Minnesota.

January 23, 2000

Bloomington, Indiana - Arson that destroyed a house at the Sterling Woods Development in the Bloomington area with estimated damage of $200,000. An ELF statement obtained by the Environment News Service says, "The house was targeted because the sprawling development it is located in is in the Lake Monroe Watershed. This is the drinking water supply for the town of Bloomington, Indiana and the surrounding area. It is already being jeopardized by existing development and roads."

December 31, 1999

Michigan - Arson of the offices of Catherine Ives, Room 324, Agriculture Hall at Michigan State University. The offices were doused with gasoline and set afire. ELF said the fire was set in response to the work being done to force developing nations in Asia, Latin America and Africa to switch from natural crop plants to genetically engineered sweet potatoes, corn, bananas and pineapples. Monsanto and USAID are major funders of the research and promotional work being done through Michigan State University. According to local newspapers, the fire caused some $400,000 in damage. "Cremate Monsanto, Long live the E.L.F. On to the next GE target!"

December 25, 1999

Oregon - Arson of Boise Cascade office in Monmouth, Oregon. ELF claimed responsibility in a communiqué release by the Liberation Collective in Portland, Oregon.

December 26, 1998

Oregon - Arson of U.S. Forest Industries' corporate headquarters in Medford, Oregon. The three alarm blaze resulted in over $500,000 in damages. ELF claimed responsibility in a communiqué released by the Liberation Collective in Portland, Oregon.

October 26, 1998

Michigan - Release of 5,000 mink at Tom Pipkorn's Mink Farm near Hermansville in the upper peninsula of Michigan. ELF claim faxed to Associated Press offices by North American Animal Liberation Front.

October 12, 1998

Colorado - Arson of Vail Associates ski facility, seven structures destroyed, 4 ski lifts, a restaurant, a picnic facility, and a utility building. Cost estimated at $12 million. ELF claim.

September, 1998

Wyoming - Release of approximately 100 wild horses from the BLM's wild-horse corrals in Rock Springs. A planned arson on government office buildings and vehicles was scrapped. Joint claim by Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front.

June 28, 1998

Washington - Arson of U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Damage Control building near Olympia, Washington. Cost estimated at $2 million. Joint ALF / ELF claim.

June 28, 1998

Massachusetts - Sprayed red paint on the Mexican Consulate in Boston to protest the treatment of peasants in Chiapas, Mexico. ELF claim without ALF.

Washington - 310 Animals were released from a research center in Washington June 21, 1998. Two U.S. Department of Natural Resources facilities in Washington state were bombed causing $1.9 million in damage.
[source: Emergency Net News ]

July 3, 1998

Wisconsin - Break-in and release of 171 mink and ferrets from United Vaccines laboratory in Middleton. Joint ALF / ELF claim.

November 29, 1997

Oregon - Arson of Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse Corrals 8 miles west of Burns. Estimated cost, $450,000. Joint ALF / ELF Claim.

California - Congressman Frank Riggs of California got a first hand look at Eco-terrorism when a group of masked Earth First! terrorists laid siege to his office, threatened his staff, and caused several thousand dollars worth of damage to the facility. Tree stumps, sawdust, urinating on the furniture, and locking themselves down were all a part of this "Environmental" Action".
[source: Emergency Net News ]

July 21, 1997

Oregon - Arson of Cavel West meat packing plant in Redmond. Estimated cost over $1 million. Joint ALF / ELF claim.

Sandy, Utah - Animal Liberation Front terrorists bombed the Utah Fur Breeders Agricultural Cooperative in Sandy, Utah, in the early morning hours. The offices were fire bombed and pipe bombs blew up five feed trucks. The offices and the main computer system were destroyed. Damage was set at $1 million. The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) contacted the Salt Lake Tribune and Desert News, stating that ALF had taken credit for the attack in retaliation for animal activists serving jail sentences in Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Syracuse.
[source: Emergency Net News ]

March 14, 1997

Oregon - Tree spiking at Robinson-Scott timber harvest site in the Mackenzie River watershed, Willamette National Forest. Joint ALF / ELF claim.

Ogden, Utah - Montgomery Furs, a trapping supply store in Ogden, Utah, was torched while a night watchman was inside. The watchman interrupted the terrorists after dousing the outside of the building with several gallons of gasoline and attempting to rig a fuse to a gallon container. The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade issued a news release claiming credit for the incident on behalf of the Animal Liberation Front. The local sheriff called the incident an attempted murder. FBI, ATF, Utah Department of Investigations and local police are investigating the incident.
[source: Emergency Net News ]

October 30, 1996

Oregon - Arson destroyed U.S. Forest Service Oakridge Ranger Station south of Eugene. Cost estimate, $5.3 million. Joint ALF / ELF claim.

Near Olympia, Washington. Log loader destroyed; valued at more than $200,000 belonging to Dave Littlejohn Logging Company, torched at about 4 p.m.
[source: Emergency Net News ]

Near Olympia, Washington. Log skidder, two fire trucks and a bulldozer were torched about 2:45 p.m. Damage, over $80,000. On August 9, the Washington Contract Loggers Association's answering machine tape held a message spoken by a computer-generated robotic voice: "The recent destruction of logging equipment was retaliation by the Earth Firsters to protect the planet earth from logging."
[source: Emergency Net News ]

Olympia, Washington. Two fires;Allan Wirkkala Logging Company, $8,000 damage. ELF claims responsibility.
[source: Emergency Net News ]

Quinault, Washington. Tobin Logging, $10,000 damage. ELF claims responsibility.
[source: Emergency Net News ]

Near Flagstaff, AZ. Dump truck belonging to High Desert Investment Company of Flagstaff destroyed. Letter left behind said, "This letter is to inform you that your 1977 dump truck was not destroyed by young vandals, it was monkey-wrenched." It was signed, "Coconino Clyde and his merry band of eco-warriors."
[source: Emergency Net News ]