Earth First!

One off publications are zines or short books with a single installment.

ALF is Watching and there’s No Place To Hide, The (1988 – Laguna Beach, CA) Punk record and zine unfortunately produced by Sean Muttaqi, the founder of an anti-gay, anti-abortion tendency known as Hardline. This effort precedes his time as a cult leader, and minus his association with it, the record isn’t bad!

A Little is Enough, A Zine By Antarctic Sailors (2012/2013. The Southern Ocean) Written by the crew members aboard the Sea Shepherd vessel M/Y Bob Barker. This is the side of Sea Shepherd that people do not see on Whale Wars: the dedicated crew members who see Animal Planet executives as “prodouchebags,” who discuss issues of race and gender with each other on long, icy nights. Plus, SODUKU!

A.L.F. On Trial – Capitalism Under Attack In The 1980’s (1987. City of publication unknown, England) On February 5th of 1987 ten British animal liberationists were sentenced to an aggregate of 38 years after a trial prosecutors had designed to “break the back of the ALF.” This case, popularly referred to as the Sheffield Trial, set precedents not only in the UK, but worldwide for the manner in which vegan militants would be tried by the state and media. An anarchist analysis of the court proceedings from 1987 has survived in the form of this brief, snarky pamphlet.

Cascadia Forest Alliance Disorientation Manual (2003. City of publication unknown, likely Eugene, OR. USA) Militancy in defense of the planet is an artform, and this publication from the Cascadia Forest Alliance aimed to bring the basics to the masses who showed up at camps in the woods, eager to get active. It explains the basics of anti-oppression policies, direct action, consensus decision making, and security culture.

Counter Friction (1998. Bloomington, IN. USA) A joint effort between Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade and the Animal Defense Leagues, Counter Friction was published during a period of internal conflict in the movement that led to lower participation and folded after a single issue.

Elaho Valley Anarchist Horde on the end of the 7Cs: A Journal of Sasquatchology (2001, Victoria, BC Canada) The end of the 90s and the early 2000s was a busy time for forest defenders, and across the globe direct action campaigns for wilderness were abundant and inspiring. There are many famous examples, and while Warner Creek and the anti-roads campaigns of England may have stolen the spotlight, one rugged crew in British Columbia carried on an overlooked battle that every activist should know about. If you like raging warrior grannies, sabotage, unlikely coalitions, and open revolt against corporations and their governmental subsidiaries, then you ought to read up on the history of actions in the Elaho, Squamish, and Simms valleys.

FAQ About the Earth Liberation Front (2001, Portland, OR. USA) A short FAQ on the ELF from the perspectives of Craig Rosebraugh and Leslie James Pickering.

Flamethrower (1986. London, England) We received this publication from another archivist but have very little information about its origins. Still, with a flame throwing, angry feminist on the cover how can you go wrong? If you have more information about Flamethrower please contact us!

The One Off Collection: G-L

In: One-off publications

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One off publications are zines or short books with a single installment.

Got the Hollowpoints for the Snitches (2005, City of publication unknown. USA) An examination of the consequences of activists who provide evidence to the state written during the Green Scare. Comes complete with a rogues gallery of traitors. Our least controversial publication!

Grand Juries: Tools of Political Repression (1998. Portland, OR. USA) After his first few subpoenas, Craig Rosebraugh wrote this essay just in time to receive six more subpoenas. The tone of the publication is a little heavy handed, academic, and politically naive, but contains a good overview of grand juries.

Homo Milk (1992. Sacramento, CA, USA) A true treasure produced by Tom Scut and Todd Pollution Circus. Super queer, super vegan, and very influential in its time.

Hunt Saboteurs Association New Members Pack (1987. Exeter, England.) The Hunt Saboteurs Association is among the most important organizations in the history of animal rights. Starting in 1963, it was one of the first protest organizations for animals in the modern era. Its means were always direct action oriented, and many of our greatest organizations, activists, and philosophies originated with HSA participation. This New Members Pack is a great place to start learning abut the early tactics of the group.

Inside / Out: Diary of Madness (2001. St. Louis, MO. USA) Inside / Out is the story of Brenda Shoss’ experience at the national demonstration which took place in Little Rock between October 27th and 29th in 2001. Brenda, a devoted animal rescuer and mother, represented the broad diversity of the campaign against Huntingdon Life Sciences during its early years. She hardly fit the image of militant campaigning. Happily marching alongside pierced punks and anarchists, Brenda’s mild mannered and patriotic politics did not clash with those held by her comrades: instead her presence signaled a movement able to break through to a wider audience. Throughout her account of the demonstrations she evokes the anger and outrage that prompted thousands to band together, despite their differences, to fight to shut down HLS.

Inside the Cages: animal liberation and imprisonment (2013. South London, England) lewis pogson’s account of his imprisonment in England for animal liberation actions. The final chapters deal with post-release supervision and are a must read for those trying to understand the long term legal consequences of a serious arrest.

It’s a Man’s Game (Publication year unknown, likely early 1980s. Leeds, England) It’s A Man’s Game is a short zine written after an anarchist men’s weekend, outlining what they perceived as sexism in the UK’s Hunt Saboteur Association. The authors argue that all men involved in hunt sabbing engage in behaviors that oppress women, and that women and animals are alike because women are “enslaved as wives” and “used for entertainment, cheap labour, and sex.”
For a zine claimed to be inspired by women’s strength, it is notably absent of evidence of women voicing their own concerns with the sabbing scene. Instead, women are portrayed as yet another helpless and oppressed creature that needs protecting by enlightened men – mirroring the paternalistic dynamic of how many animal rights activists view animals.
The solutions to sexism proposed by the zine are to disassociate with the HSA, have structured meetings to prevent any one person from talking more than another, and to spend time doing blindfolded trust exercises as a group to build respect for women.

Keep Fighting: Three Interviews with Britain’s Animal Liberation Front Press Officers (1996. Minneapolis, MN. USA) An almost entirely fantastic little zine containing three highly influential interviews with Robin Webb, Ronnie Lee, and Robin Lane covering the arguments in favor of direct action. There are, however, some arguments on human population in Lee’s interview that will disappoint.

Let’s Get Free (2002. Eugene, OR. USA) Let’s Get Free tells the story of Jeff “Free” Luers’ arrest, trial, and sentencing, along with some short articles and illustrations by Jeff himself. It was sold to benefit his legal defense and prison commissary fund before he eventually had his sentence reduced from 22 years to about 10 years on appeal. It manages to capture some of the shock and anger felt by the activist community when one of our best comrades was buried inside the prison system as a reminder to stay in our place. What it doesn’t capture is the strength, sincerity, and warmth of Jeff Luers. The state failed to tame this warrior. Free is free!

The One Off Collection: M-R

In: One-off publications

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One off publications are zines or short books with a single installment.

Memories of Freedom (Publication year unknown, likely 1997. Tucson, AZ. USA) Rod Coronado’s once-anonymous account of Operation Bite Back, he later confessed to being the author. Beautifully written, but at times inaccurate, readers would do well to follow this zine with Operation Bite Back by Dean Kuipers for a less propagandized account of the campaign.

Nonviolence and Its Violent Consequences (2000. Gualala, CA. USA) A short and concise argument against dogmatic nonviolence and its use in wilderness campaigns.

North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office Subcommittee on Eco-Terrorism (2002. Portland, OR. USA) In the late 1990s environmental sabotage was happening all across the world, but was particularly frequent in the northwest of the United States. At the forefront of these actions was the Earth Liberation Front, an anonymous, underground group who utilized above ground spokespeople to reach the public. Their primary conduit for media relations was an activist from Portland named Craig Rosebraugh and his organization, the North American ELF Press Office. For his role in publicizing the motivations and rhetoric of the ELF he had his arm broken by the police, his home raided by Joint Terrorism Task Forces, his break cables cut, was repeatedly subpoenaed to grand juries, and eventually was called to testify before a congressional sub-committee who hoped to imprison him on contempt charges. The so-called “Eco-Terror committee” surely hoped that Craig would be an easy target, but that didn’t exactly work out for them. Snarky, educated, and angry, Craig’s testimony ran the gamut from stonewalling, to educational, to hilarious. For example, while running the Press Office with his friend Leslie James Pickering, Craig owned a bakery. When asked how the press office was funded, Rosebraugh simply replied “muffins.” When asked who had asked him to become the ELF press officer and how he was contacted, Craig responded, “Jesus Christ. It was a spiritual sort of thing.” This booklet is an in depth overview of the hearings and a rare piece of history with fewer than 500 physical copies printed.

One Struggle (1997. Boulder, CO. USA) Launched in 1997, One Struggle was meant to be a multi-issue alternative to the popular No Compromise magazine. With a mission to “fight the overall power structure,” the magazine produced only one issue which greatly failed in that task. It was almost exclusively authored by animal liberationists discussing the movement they most identified with, and many of the articles about other struggles were likewise written by single issue participants in those movements and lifted directly from their publications. This doesn’t mean that One Struggle was not a worthwhile read. The international coverage exceeded what was available in any other US AR zine at the time, and the classic “Non-violence is ass kissing” op ed still produces some hearty chuckles.

Raggedy Anarchy’s Guide to Vegan Baking and the Universe (Publication year unknown, likely 1989. Carmichael, CA. USA) Raggedy Anarchy will help you make delicious cakes, but it will also spark your desire to subvert the omnicidal paradigm! Sometimes funny, sometimes introspective, and always inspiring, we post this classic in the hopes of making Snacktivism a threat again and convincing our readers to “bake for themselves what tomorrow never brings!”

The One Off Collection: S-Z

In: One-off publications

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One off publications are zines or short books with a single installment.

Sabotage : A Comic / Zine About The Fine Art Of Hunt Sabotage (1992 – Cardiff, UK) Produced by the Vale and Valleys Hunt Sabs, this short zine provides exactly what the title suggests. The interior has articles and comics from a wide cross section of saboteur subcultures, from crusties to older folks in white tennis shoes. The quality of the content is all over the map as well, but still makes for an interesting look at sabbing culture and technique in the early 1990s.

SHAC – A Campaign That Made History (2013. City of publication unknown, Italy) Originally published as “SHAC: ha fatto storia.” The english translation is not perfect, but makes for a good overview of the FBI’s “Operation Trailmix” in the US and INTERPOL’s “Operation Achilles” in Europe. The collective that made this booklet has a blog at shacmadehistory.noblogs.org

SNARL! Handbook of the Leeds A.L.F. (1985. Leeds, England) Hilarious, youthful, arrogant, and obnoxious- and just a little bit dangerous. Ignore the sketchy how to’s and enjoy the rest!

Still Angry? The Compilation Tape and Fanzine: A Benefit for the Toronto ALFSG (1987. Toronto, ON. Canada) The Toronto ALFSG released many of the publications on this site and were one of the best sources of information on direct action for non-humans in the 1980s. In order to financially support their work they released this cassette and zine compilation in 1987. The bands featured are primarily from Europe, North America, and South Africa and run the gamut of punk sub-genres. The zine and liner notes are typical of their era- cut and paste style graphics, juvenile interviews, and plenty of righteous frustration with law and order.
Due to a file error, we currently only have Side A of the cassette digitized. Please accept our apologies, we will post the full cassette eventually… Maybe…

True Story of Stumpy the Bear, The (City and date of publication unknown. USA) The US Forest service auctions off public land for private profit at a net loss to the taxed classes. How does an organization behave so badly for so long without anyone noticing? The USFS has as part of its solution a cartoon bear…
Radical environmentalists subvertised the heck out of Smokey in the 80’s and 90’s to great effect. The free Smokey comic books given out at ranger stations were replaced with these Stumpy comics.

Up Against The Law (1987. London, England) Before the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act or the advent of Ag-Gag laws, western governments were using other means to protect the profits of animal abusers. Through methods legislative and extra-legal the British government was particularly skilled in disrupting the efforts of animal liberationists. By the late 1980s these attacks had become so commonplace that J.J. Roberts (the collective pen name of John Page and Jane Holgate) wrote Up Against the Law as an effort to give activists a means to fight back.

The Primer Collection

In: Primers

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Primers are typically self published, anonymously distributed zines containing DIY instructions on sabotage, civil disobedience, or other forms of direct action. Due to the laws suppressing certain materials in the United States we must censor primers containing bomb making or incendiary device instructions. While primers in the environmental and animal liberation movements seldom focus on consequences, please be aware that following the advice in these publications could lead to arrest, incarceration, death, or severe repression of yourself and others. These publications are dated, their instructional value may not hold up in light of new legislation, security measures, and other technological advancements. Please see our site disclaimer at the bottom of the page.

An Animal Liberation Primer, 2nd and 3rd Editions (Publishing dates unknown. Country of origin unknown) Popular primer widely distributed in the 1990s. Focused on security culture, direct action philosophy, tactical decision making between animal rescues and economic sabotage, and how-to directions.

Animal Liberation Primer, The (Publishing date unknown. Country of origin likely USA) Containing material mostly culled from other similarly named primers, this is a short how-to guide for small scale property damage, arson, and liberations. Contains a basic run down of security measures, mental preparation, and history of the Animal Liberation Front.

Animal Liberation Through Direct Action (Date of publication likely 1998. Country of origin likely England) One of the better primers available in the 1990s, the pamphlet discusses the basic security, surveillance, and planning necessary to carry out liberations and economic sabotage. Also includes a brief history of the movement, a first hand account of a mink farm raid, and statements from various ALF cells.

As Darkness Falls (1995, USA.) Dangerous, amateurly written, likely made by people with little personal experience utilizing direct action.

Earth First! Direct Action Manual 1st Edition (1997. Eugene, OR. USA) Earth First! chapters on the west coast of the United States won a few campaigns using blockading and civil disobedience in the 80s and 90s. As word spread about new tactics developing in the forests there was a clamor from other activist groups to build their own lockboxes, barrels, tripods, and “black bears.” The DAM Collective answered this demand by printing the Earth First! Direct Action Manual, a nicely illustrated, bound book containing how-to instructions on scouting, security, dealing with police, and setting up voluntary arrest scenarios utilizing “lock downs.” It also contained short articles about Critical Mass, The Animal Liberation Front, varying theories on non-violence as an ethic vs. tactical choice, and practical security measures for activists.

Going Underground for Animal Liberation (1993. England) Thoughts on animal liberation, the value of direct action, and security measures.

How to Sink Whalers, Driftnetters, and Other Environmentally Destructive Ships (1993. Chico, CA. USA) The scuttling of ships used to harm the ocean has a long and proud tradition in our movement. Classically, large boats were sunk with limpet mines attached magnetically to their hulls, but another method became popular in 1986 when David Howitt and Rod Coronado sank two boats in harbor in Iceland by opening the sea water intake valves. Their method, originally published as an epilogue in later editions of Dave Foreman and Bill Haywood’s Ecodefense, was later excerpted for publication in this zine format gem.

Interviews with ALF Activists (1986. England) According to Keith Mann, Interviews with Animal Liberation Front Activists had an initial print run of around 1,500 copies which were mailed to to the postal boxes of supportive groups. Inside were detailed instructions on fire bombs, as well as press clippings and interviews with the people behind much of the resistance taking place in England. Readers will notice pages missing from our .PDF of “Interviews.” After many years of photocopying, the final several pages- which contained addresses of laboratories- had become obsolete. In fact, many of them were out of date at the time of publication as they had been taken from documents issued by the Home Office 5 years prior to printing.

Into The 90s With The ALF (1991. England) Basic cut and paste primer from early 1990s. Discusses the course of direct action and hunt sabotage after the murder of Mike Hill.

Meeting the People and Ideas of the Animal Liberation Movement (Publication date unknown. Amsterdam, Netherlands) Containing mostly reprints from early issues of No Compromise, this is a good read with a mouthful of a title!

My First Little Book of GM Crop Decontamination (Date of publication likely 2002. Country of publication likely England) Essentially a more complete, British version of The Nighttime Gardener with illustrated instructions on locating and destroying genetically modified crops.

Nighttime Gardener (2000. United States) Originally released to coincide with the WTO protests, Nighttime Gardener quickly became the standard primer on anti-bioengineering crop pulls. These actions, which were once popular all across the world, were aimed at preventing GM cross contamination with other plants and corporate control of agriculture.

Power is Ours, The (Publication date unknown. Country of origin unknown.) Basically a reprinting of the Into the 90s with the ALF with a new lay-out and introduction. Contains a small piece about a raid carried out against the Oxford University vivisection program where 64 cats were rescued.

This Is The ALF 1-2 (1990, 1994. New Zealand) A brief snapshot of the animal liberation movement in New Zealand from the late 1980s into the 90s. The Diary of Actions is impressive for a country of this size.

We are still seeking primers. If you have them- or other publications of note- please contact us!

Black Beast / Turning Point

In: Periodicals

Black Beast 1-3 / Turning Point 5-8 (1985-1987. Oxford, UK)

The Complete Do or Die

In: Do or Die, Most Popular, Periodicals

Do Or Die 1-10 (1993-2003, Brighton, England)

The Complete Underground

Underground 1-17 (1994-2002. Victoria, BC / Toronto, ON / Willowdale, ON Canada)

The Complete No Compromise

No Compromise 1-30. Includes Strategic Non-Violence for Animal Liberation insert included with issue #8 as separate publication. (1996-2006, Sacramento, CA / Minneapolis, MN / Caldwell, NJ / Old Bridge, NJ / Santa Cruz, CA / San Francisco, CA)

Text postNo Compromise, which billed itself as “The militant, direct action newsmagazine of grassroots animal liberationists and their supporters,” was the most important animal rights publication of the 1990s. Despite its many problems, frequent delays, and constant changes in editorial staff, the magazine energized the movement in a way that is difficult to explain to a generation that never witnessed pre-internet activism.

In the mid 90s there were a few, isolated groups around the country who were participating in civil disobedience actions and staging loud protests against local labs and fur stores. These groups were largely unaware of each others’ existence and without a gathering like Earth First!’s Round River Rendezvous, unable to share tactical advice or co-ordinate targets.

In 1996 there was a national meeting of animal rights activists in Washington DC dubbed World Animal Awareness Week and March for the Animals. The event was considered a failure as only 3,000 of the estimated 100,000 participants materialized. But staff from No Compromise were present passing out the first issue and asking grassroots organizations for their contact information. Suddenly groups like the Animal Rights Direct Actions Coalition were meeting with the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, the Animal Defense Leagues, and the Student Organization for Animal Rights.

As the grassroots grew increasingly aware of the efforts of other organizations, regional demonstrations began being planned. The first such demonstration after the March for Animals took place at the Seattle Fur Exchange, where activists used bike locks to attach themselves to each other and block the drive way of the fur auction. All of the action got reported on in No Compromise, and suddenly bike locks gave way to lock boxes, which gave way to super boxes and barrels and tripods as civil disobedience tactics spread across the country wherever the magazine was distributed. There was an explosion not just in voluntary arrest scenarios, but also in underground direct action. The print runs of No Compromise kept climbing and it became the must read publication for animal rights militants.

The tone of the magazine at its start was hopeful, and each issue was packed with increasingly daring protests and direct actions. As the movement struggled to find focus and dealt with the departure of founder Freeman Wicklund, the the mood shifts to frustration and confusion, only to be plucked back into hopeful territory with the rise of SHAC.

After 30 issues, the steering committee of No Compromise decided to stop publishing in 2006. Their decision could not have come at a worse time. With the SHAC website and newsletter killed by the convictions of the SHAC 7, Bite Back being published only sporadically and with a limited focus, and the Earth First! Journal mired in infighting, the sudden absence of No Compromise meant that the primary sources for radical animal liberation news, opinion, and strategy were the twin sewers of online social networks and the North American Animal Liberation Press Office. These were dark times for our movement, and we are only just beginning to recover.

Earth First! Journal 1987

In: Earth First! Journal, Periodicals

Earth First! Journal (1987, Issue #1-8. Tucson, AZ.)

Writing about Earth First! during its 1980s heyday is a delicate matter. I want to celebrate their best tendencies without ignoring their worst. 1987 is a particularly difficult year to do the former.

After the publication of an article called “Alien Nation” called for a closing of the US border to immigrants (strictly for environmental reasons we are told, not because EF! icon Ed Abbey advocated the use of the term “wetback” and used “cultural chauvinist” to describe his particular brand of racism) anarchists challenged the authors at a gathering in late 1986. So began a years worth of letters to the editor defending the piece. More than one missive in this volume praised AIDS as a positive development for the environment, and various racist, classist, and macho arguments bleed into many of the pages. Given these facts it feels callous to point to the positives that this volume also contains, so I will leave it to our readers to discover those for themselves.

Earth First! is a complex non-organization that has gone through many incarnations, changes in direction, and has never had a political consensus on any issue during the entirety of its history. If I can point out one mitigating factor for these eight issues it is that at least some Earth First!ers fought back in print and in person against the most backwards opinions of their peers, something still needed in the movement today.