By Karen Pickett and Woody Joe[1] – Earth First! Journal, Litha / June 21, 1990
Earth First! has always dealt with crisis situations by bouncing back from an attack to lunge at the heart of the issue. There has been a good deal of horror, shock and rage in reaction to the bombing and subsequent attempted frame-up of Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney, but the spirit never had the look of death —not even close. With key Redwood Summer organizers temporarily out of commission, others have been scrambling to carry on all organizational aspects of the campaign, preparing for more people, bigger demos, more media; preparing for a campaign suddenly much more publicized than we ever imagined it could be, as Redwood Summer stories are splashed across the newspapers and airwaves of the country alongside the sensational stories of the bombing. If the powers that infiltrate, disrupt, and attempt to destroy had hoped to see Redwood Summer dead in the water because of the tragedy of the bombing, they are seeing quite contrary circumstances.
As Judi issues statements from her hospital bed urging her compadres to get on with the issues at hand, activists from all over the country are converging on northern California to defend the forests with renewed vigor in a campaign that will prove to be hotter and bigger than any EF! has rallied before, and bigger and better than those who planned it could have imagined.
The goals are the same—only more important than ever. The tone is the same—deliberately nonviolent but fiercely committed. The message is the same—this is an absolutely critical time as the red-wood ecosystem faces extinction and many species are so threatened that action must be taken now; next year will be too late for much of the biology. There are no compromises to be made with an industry out of control. The crisis situation in the forest, coupled with the eye-opening power of the shock waves rippling through the environmental and social justice movements, has galvanized this movement and brought many new bodies and voices to the Redwood Summer campaign. As explained in the special EF! tabloid recently mailed out, Greenpeace, the Rainforest Action Network, Earth Island Institute, International Indian Treaty Council, and many others have offered their support.
A Redwood Summer base camp is setup in the coast range mountains off US Highway 101, complete with kitchen by the Seeds of Peace, a group of activists with a history of supporting mass CD campaigns, including Nevada Test Site occupations. Nonviolent preps are being held at the base camp, in the Bay Area, and at other central locations. People are preparing forest safety and first aid workshops, as well as sessions on the local flora, fauna, culture and politics.
Now is the time to make a stand for the trees, for the frogs, for the owls, for the rivers. Now is the time to stand firm against the onslaught of greed and corruption, destroying the forests of the Pacific Northwest and attacking those who defend them. The Redwood Summer campaign needs the involvement of every activist who can join in this historic moment.
What You Can Do:
1) Come participate in Redwood Summer for any length of time. We need organizers, tree sitters, river rats, support people…no matter what you do, you can plug in if you have a commitment to defend the forest and a commitment to nonviolence. All participants in civil disobedience must participate in a day of nonviolence training; call us for details.
2) Support Redwood Summer financially. Send to the EF! Direct Action Fund…Make checks payable to Earth First!
3) Participate in upcoming actions or plan simultaneous actions of support in your community. Urge friends to join.
End Notes
[1] Aka Darryl Cherney.