Highlights
– Eco-activists of Earth First! Claim recent attacks on financial institutions, construction companies
– Possible connections to the radical ELF concern British authorities
– Eco-extremism may surpass the animal rights movement as a more popular and potentially violent threat to safety in the UK
Police in Britain have recently warned of a rising threat posed by radical eco-activists targeting companies who have been labeled as major polluters or catalysts of climate change (Source). British authorities remain concerned that radical activists acting under the banner of an eco-movement could target companies in a violent and extreme campaign similar to that of the animal rights extremist group Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). Since the group’s creation in 1999, SHAC activists have committed numerous direct action attacks including arson, vandalism, intimidation, and harassment.
The National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit, a unit of the British Home Office that coordinates intelligence and police action against extremist groups in the UK, has revealed that eco-activists are now increasingly researching new target companies, shareholders, and financiers. Although anti-climate change groups have not carried out an orchestrated campaign of violent attacks, a series of recent attacks targeting seven German banks highlights the dangers posed by a movement that continues to gain momentum. If authorities fail to apprehend those responsible for such attacks, more eco-extremists are likely to follow suit and carry out more violent natured attacks in the near to mid-term.
Destructive Acts
In August 2008, members of the radical environmental advocacy group, Earth First!, claimed responsibility for several acts of vandalism targeting the branches of seven German banks in Berlin over alleged connections to the British coal company, UK Coal. On an affiliated website of Earth First!, a post regarding the attacks declares, “’Exploitation of the environment and people by the state and industry go hand in hand. They cannot be separated and both must be attacked. Social war, not climate chaos.”
Earth First! also claimed an attack on a company that owns a quarry on the northwest coast of Scotland. According to the group, the company is planning an expansion that would have an adverse affect on the ecology of many species in the area. A posting on the group’s website claiming responsibility for an attack on one of the company’s offices in England read, “The Plant in Yorkshire was entered and sabotaged. Vehicles including all bulldozers had holes drilled in vital parts of their engines and their tires. Both control rooms were broken into and all computers and instrument panels were smashed. Keys to all buildings and machinery were removed from the site.”
British police also believe that airport operator British Airports Authority (BAA), international mining conglomerates, and financial firms connected to coal-fired power stations are likely targets for possible acts of vandalism or intimidation. Given the successes of other environmental advocacy groups, coupled with the group’s stated intentions, we expect more brazen attacks to occur in the near to mid-term.
Connections to ELF
Authorities remain concerned that Earth First! will begin to use extreme tactics, as exhibited by activists of the affiliated radical eco-group Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Founded in Brighton, England by members of Earth First! in 1992, ELF is an extremist eco-movement that US authorities deemed the top domestic terror threat in the United States. Since 1997, ELF activists have been linked to dozens of arson attacks on universities and other property that have resulted in damages of more than US$100 million. We note that the group attempts to avoid injuring people in its direct action campaigns, instead choosing to focus directly on corporate property.
Despite the group’s apparent attempt to avoid human injury, British authorities note that eco-extremists connected to Earth First! continue to post life-threatening statements on radical environmental websites. One posting read, “Four-fifths of the human population has to die for other species in the world to survive.” While this posting was likely made for dramatic effect, we note that the tone of the statement could motivate radicalized activists to target the public-at-large.
The Animal Rights Void
In the coming years, we expect a shift in momentum from the animal rights movement to the rise of eco-extremism. In 2006 and 2007, animal rights groups such as SHAC suffered arrests, convictions, and increased police pressure. As a result, the number of violent attacks on big business pharmaceutical companies and financial firms connected to Huntingdon Life Sciences HLS – SHAC’s principal target – dropped significantly in the past year (Previous Report).
However, SHAC activists continue to conduct daily protests targeting HLS and HLS affiliated shareholders throughout Western Europe and the US – including protesting at the homes of executives affiliated with those companies. In addition, animal rights activists from the “NYSE Euronext Bomb Squad” recently claimed an attack in November 2008, in which six explosives were placed under two cars belonging to a former employee of the NYSE Euronext in Hilversum, Netherlands, which deals in shares from HLS.
Outlook
In the United Kingdom, the proposal for expanding Heathrow Airport and the development of new coal facilities remain highly controversial among anti-climate change groups. Opposed to the expansion of the world’s busiest airport, nearly 600 environmental activists rallied on the steps of parliament in October 2008 while more than 3,000 activists demonstrated at Heathrow Airport in June 2008. In addition, demonstrators continue to target Kingsnorth, Kent, the proposed location for Britain’s first coal powered power plant in 30 years.
We anticipate that radical environmental groups will utilize these controversial and unpopular measures to galvanize anti-climate campaigns against big oil and coal businesses in the near-term. We believe eco-extremist groups will continue to conduct research on new targets to facilitate their disruptive, and potentially violent, campaigns against energy companies and the financial institutions that support them.
