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Article 39 of ran.ragforum:
Path: gnosys!cdp!rainforest
From: rainfor...@cdp.UUCP
Newsgroups: ran.ragforum
Subject: Car Bombing in California
Message-ID: <270200036@cdp>
Date: 27 May 90 10:48:54 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:270200036:000:7769
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!rainforest May 26 13:45:00 1990
>From: Juliette Majot, International Rivers Network
San Francisco, CA
EMERGENCY IN CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS VICTIMS OF CAR BOMB ATTACK
AMERICAN FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI) IMPLICATES
VICTIMS IN THE BOMBING
VICTIMS FORMALLY CHARGED WITH POSSESSION AND TRANSPORT OF
EXPLOSIVES
For more information, contact: Juliette Majot, International Rivers
Network, (415) 986-4694, or Colleen Murphy, Rainforest Action
Network, (415) 398-4404.
Two Earth First! activists who have been lead organizers in the
upcoming summer of demonstrations to save the Redwoods have been
victims of sabotage. Both have received numerous death threats
over the past few months. Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney are now
under arrest and formally charged with transporting the bomb which
blew-up their car on Thursday, May 24. Each is being held at
$100,000 bond.
Cherney has been released from hospital and is being held at the
Oakland Main Police Department, where a vigil is being held by
supporters. Bari is recovering from lower abdominal surgery, and is
being held at the Highland Hospital in Oakland.
Within hours of the attack, officials of the FBI, and the Oakland
California police force were publicly stating their belief that the
activists were transporting the explosives for use elsewhere. The
head of homicide of the Oakland police department stated to
journalists on Friday, May 25, that they were so convinced that the
bomb belonged to the activists that further investigation was
categorically excluded. They refuse to release their evidence.
Colleagues and friends of the two victims are outraged at the
suggestion that either would be carrying explosives. Both Bari and
Cherney have been active in non-violence training in preparing
protestors for the Redwood summer demonstrations. Other Bay area
environmental groups, including the Rainforest Action Network, the
International Rivers Network, and Greenpeace have made formal
statements of support for Earth First! and have called for an open
and thorough investigation into the bombing. (RAN and IRN
statements follows this text)
The FBI has questioned numerous environmental activists, and has,
to our knowledge, centered its entire investigation on activist
community. They have made public statements to the effect that
there are no other suspects in the bombing.
Bari and Cherney were allowed only limited access to attorneys for
the first 30 hours following the attack.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
CONTACT your congressman, and senator to complain officially about the
way in which the case has been handled to date. Request that the
appropriate investigative agencies carry out a thorough investigation
into the connection between death threats, and the May 24 bombing.
Send letters of support, and financial contributions to the
Bari/Cherney Emergency Action Fund, 106 W. Standly, Ukiah, CA
95428.
Hold a press conference, or issue and statement from your
organization in support of Redwood summer, and non-violent protest.
Denounce the premature and unfounded announcements by the FBI and
the Oakland police department. Call for release of the evidence on
which Bari and Cherney have been charged.
Interest your local press, speak to any press contacts you have, and
encourage them to put resources into investigative pieces about this
attack.
WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE PRESS COVERAGE GIVEN TO THIS ATTACK,
AND RESPOND DIRECTLY TO NEWS DIRECTORS AND PRODUCERS IF YOU
KNOW THE INFORMATION IS ERRONEOUS OR INFLAMMATORY.
If you wish to take part in Redwood summer demonstrations, call
Betty, at (707)468-1660
For Immediate Release
25 May 1990
CONTACT: Colleen Murphy: (415)398-4404 FAX: (415)398-2732
RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK STATEMENT REGARDING THE)BOMB ATTACK ON TWO
EARTH FIRST! ACTIVISTS IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Yesterday, May 24, two activists from the environmental organization
Earth First! were the victims of a bomb attack. Both victims have been
active in organizing a non-violent protest against clear-cut logging in
the ancient forests of Northern California. Both have received death
threats over the past few months.
The Rainforest Action Network at this time would like to express our
shock at this violent action, and to reiterate our policy of non-
violence. We also wish to express our dismay at the way in which the
case has to this point been handled by the law enforcement agencies, and
some members of the media.
Both bombing victims have been held for questioning and have had only
limited access to their attorneys. Friends and colleagues of the
victims have been unable to see them and have received conflicting
information about their whereabouts and condition.
The Rainforest Action Network considers that the charge that Judi Bari
and Darryl Cherney were in any way responsible for the bomb in their car
to be unfounded and inflammatory. We believe that the attack was
intended to discourage environmentalists from exercising their rights to
demonstrate, and to take part in non-violent protest.
To categorically exclude the probability that the bomb was placed by
others who wished to harm Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney is
unconscionable. The Rainforest Action Network calls for an open and
thorough investigation so that people responsible for this violent
attack can be located and held accountable for their actions. The FBI
and other investigative agencies should carry the investigation beyond
merely asking questions of the victims and of activists associated with
other environmenta6horganizations.
Without a thorough and fair investigation into this attack, the
Rainforest Action Network believes that the lives of other non-violent
activists are at risk, and that speculative accounts and
sensationalistic reports will continue to appear in the media.
For Immediate Release
24 May 1990
CONTACT: OWEN LAMMERS, PROGRAM DIRECTOR
JULIETTE MAJOT, CAMPAIGNER
STATEMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL RIVERS NETWORK REGARDING THE
BOMB ATTACK ON EARTH FIRST! ACTIVISTS IN OAKLAND CALIFORNIA
In response to the violent attack on Earth First! activists which
occurred on 24 May, International Rivers Network would like to express
our shock and sorrow. IRN calls for a thorough investigation into the
connection between the bombing and earlier death threats made to Judi
Bari and other activists.
At a minimum, we would expect that rather than being detained, the
victims would be given free access to legal council and an opportunity
to make statements to the public and the media. IRN would also like to
express its outrage with statements made on 25 May by officials of the
Oakland police department that Rfurther investigation into the bombing
has been categorically excludedS. Without further investigation into
this attack, we feel that all environmental activists are at personal
risk.
We believe that this attack was intended to discourage non-violent
protest by all environmental activists, and that it has been carefully
orchestrated as a political event to damage the reputations and future
effectiveness of Earth First! We view accusations against Judi Beri and
Darryl Cherney as unfounded, and we question the intentions of the
investigative agencies in their interrogation of environmental activists
associated with other organizations.
*Notes:
Both Judi Bari and Derryl Cherney have been lead organizers in a
non-violent protest against clear-cut logging in the ancient forests of
Northern California. Both have received death threats over the past few
months.
International Rivers Network is a San Francisco-based environmental
organization, and is an affiliate of Friends of the Earth
International.
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Article 40 of ran.ragforum:
Path: gnosys!cdp!cbarrs
Newsgroups: ran.ragforum
Subject: Re: Car Bombing in California
Message-ID: <270200037@cdp>
Date: 28 May 90 10:47:07 GMT
References: <270200036@cdp>
Lines: 75
Nf-ID: #R:cdp:270200036:cdp:270200037:000:4144
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!cbarrs May 27 21:24:00 1990
Damn to hell whoever planted the car bomb!
As a dedicated environmental activist, I sympathize with
anyone who is injured in defense of the earth, but also I am very
much frustrated by Earth First!'s less than pragmatic tactics.
I must wonder exactly what makes EF!'s organizers think even
for a moment that they're really doing anything worthwhile by
spiking trees, pouring sugar into machinery gas tanks, etc...
Back in the sixties, I swallowed more than my fair share of
teargas. I was walked upon, beaten, and jailed for my
participation in anti-war demonstrations. I was a county away
from Kent State when the horror there happened.
I like to think that I learned some valuable lessons from
those days:
1. Don't destroy your credibility by breaking the law.
2. Use whatever means that the 'establishment' uses to get your
point across. Write to congress, the senate, the president.
3. Boycott businesses (economic embargo).
4. Do your homework! Present viable alternatives whenever
possible, and present clear, intelligent, literate arguments
for whatever stance you might choose.
I'm sure that Earth Firster's are sincere and mean well, but
I'm not so sure that there isn't already some fairly high level
'infiltration' going on within the group. The oldest
...
read more »
