Earth Liberation Front, Case Study Example

Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is a radical environmental movement formed from the ideological factionalization of British Earth First movements. The idea of its formation was to perform duties of anti-authoritarian anarchism, which could highlight critique of capitalism, promotes no-violence activities, and protect the earth from anti-terrorism. Currently, it is a transactional, decentralized network of clandestine cells that utilizes the illegal method of protest by sabotaging and vandalizing property. The small unit cells are independent entities that do not operate without support from external entities that supply them with equipment and financial supports (Leader et al., 2021).

Ideology

The main ideological factor that led to its formation was protecting the environment through two main concepts: biocentrism and deep ecology. Biocentrism refers to the belief that all living things, including animals, have the right to be considered to live. Therefore, they have a right to live. At the same time, deep ecology promoters believe that the concept promotes industrialization and civilization to life, and they see that as a way of preserving the environment. Through research, the two images are believed to prevent environmental destruction from protecting the habitat of animals since some of them depend on vegetation. Through their habitat, they tend to nature their offspring. The ideological leaders believe that the infliction of economic damage should be put on the people profiting from the destruction and the exploitation of the environment. Profound environmentalists favor rebuilding to its envisioned flawless state, of a climate they accept has been pillaged by the narrow-minded activities of humanity. By and by, this would mean the re-visitation of pre-modern, resource horticultural networks. Thumbs down all the substantial is how one ELF supporter puts it.  Indeed, the February 2002 declaration by previous ELF representative Craig Rosebraugh clarifies that ELF sees itself connected to the counter-globalization development that contains revolutionary and hostile to entrepreneur components (Brown, 2020).

Tactic

ELF decided to use sabotage and vandalism tactics, including wall spraying and painting slogans on buildings and vehicles. They use a tactic of public awareness and an educational session to educate the population on the importance of protecting the rights of animals and other living things in the environment and condemn the negative strategies and actions that people use to cause negative impacts on the environment. The members believe that industrialization and civilization will encourage society to reduce population growth, which can be a form of threatening life (Brown, 2020).

Target

ELF has done the research and found out that some companies and organizations get involved in logging, production, and distribution of energy, engineering, and selling automobile devices. Therefore, ELF targets all these activities since they tend to exploit the environment through pollution and environmental waste disposal (Brown, 2020).

Key Members or Leaders

The movement is said to be leaderless. According to their website, they elaborate the organization as an “international underground movement which is led by a group of people who give directive actions according to the guidelines of the movement.” The principle of leaderless resistance states that every member is entitled to suggest their view concerning and issues that may be helpful to the organization when solving a dispute. It lacks an authoritative strategy and a hierarchical chain of command. They use their website as a channel of communication to the members where they advise society and their members to be productive and identify threats that could potentially threaten the organization. Lack of physical headquarter offices has made it difficult for law enforcement to locate the members of this group because they are believed to be eco-terrorism organizations. The members use loose network devices to communicate, making law enforcement work challenging to trace them (Brown, 2020).

ELF is active, but its operations are mainly through the website. Their members’ strategies and plans are usually backed up by the others and facilitate their actions that they feel should be handled. The structural operation in which members participate freely has made it operate under the strict restriction of the organization. They have an active hotline support system, and members can report threats and any illegal activity that may involve threats towards the environment or animals (Brown, 2020).

Public Perception

The public views ELF activities as harmful to society since they are believed to be an eco-terrorist group. However, other people believe that the organization promotes preventive measures against operations that harm animals and environmental species based on personal perspectives. All these measures that the organization fosters create a positive attitude from the public due to the policies that promote the animals’ life and well-being (Loadenthal, 2021).

Conclusion

Given the examination and information introduced, unmistakably, ELF represents a danger to exploring offices implied in or seen to be associated with, for all intents and purposes, any biotech research. Given ELF’s inclination for assaulting offices with almost no security, college labs are most obviously in danger. A mythical person additionally represents an insider danger to investigate labs and other comparable offices. According to researchers, the likelihood of ELF could put a supporter inside an examination office. At long last, ELF could represent a danger to atomic offices, particularly those associated with the capacity of nuclear waste, by getting sorted out savage shows intended to disturb squander shipments. Given the decentralized idea of the association and its free command over the strategies utilized by activists, the likelihood that such people could go to savage methods not reliable with ELF’s common principles can’t be disregarded.

References

Brown, J. M. (2020). Notes to the underground: Credit claiming and organizing in the Earth Liberation Front. Terrorism and Political Violence, 32(2), 237-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2017.1364637.

Leader, S., & Probst, P. (2021). The earth liberation front and environmental terrorism. http://www.ask-force.org/web/Discourse/Leader-Earth-Liberation-Front-.pdf.

Loadenthal, M. (2021). The earth liberation front: A social movement analysis. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319619396_The_Earth_Liberation_Front_A_Social_Movement_Analysis.