Liberation Collective (Portland, OR)

In Their Own Words

The Liberation Collective (Portland, OR) has this to say ...

Craig Rosebraugh, Founder (1996 - Jan. 2000). See also Earth Liberation Front.

"I receive anonymous communications from the ELF [Earth Liberation Front] and act as a conduit ... to let people know these are not just random acts. They have a clear political and social purpose, that's to end the exploitative and abusive industry practices at hand ... I think when actions like these are done, the people like to think about what will have the most impact mentally and financially.They chose the U.S. Forest Industries headquarters and I think they did that because there may have been files there, they wanted to destroy records. They wanted to strike at the focal point of the industry." (After receiving an ELF statement claiming responsibility for an arson attack on US Forest Industries; Associated Press, Jan. 17, 1999.)

"In the legal system there is a defense called the choice-of-evils defense, and what we are saying with these direct-action cases is that you have to ask the question: Is it a greater evil to destroy this property of this corporation or to choose to allow these corporations to continue to destroy the environment, and I guess what the activists and what I am saying is that I guess it's a lesser evil to stop these corporations from destroying the planet." (New York Times, Dec. 20, 1998.)

"Depending on the animal that's going to be killed, whether they are going to be killed in days or weeks, you're trying to give the animals at least a shot at life. They have the chance to use their legs in freedom. It's to let them die on their own terms." (Commenting on the numbers of mink that are killed after being "liberated"; New York Times, Dec. 20, 1998.)

"As long as it doesn't harm human lives, we approve. I think it was a statement to corporations who continue to exploit and destroy the Earth. And I think it did just that.'' (Comment following a $12 million arson attack at Vail, Colorado; Rosebraugh sent out a statement from the Earth Liberation Front claiming responsibility; Associated Press, Denver dateline, Oct. 23, 1998.)

"They don't want this to be seen like an act of terrorism. They instead want this to be seen as an act of love for the environment." (On the $12 million arson attack at Vail, Colorado; Denver Post, Oct. 22, 1998.)

"Our role in doing that is only to let the public know that these are not just random acts of what the government calls 'violence.' They have a very clear political and social motive, and that's to end these abusive industries." (Regarding an unsolved arson case at the Cavel horse meat processing plant; Rosebraugh hereby acknowledges that animal rightists engage in what are classified as "violent" crimes, and essentially claims that they are also organized violent crimes; The Bulletin [Bend, OR], July 21, 1998.)

"I do now feel that the best response to grand juries is to ignore them and refuse to cooperate with them completely. They will be unable to function if no one is cooperating and with enough public outcry they will disappear. It will result in many people being locked up, but our souls and minds will remain free." (Comment in the newsletter of his organization, Liberation Collective; quoted in the Willamette Week Online, Dec. 3, 1997.)

"We want an end to animal-abusive industries. ... To us, the human-rights movement is the animal-rights movement is the environmental movement. We hope to inform people in the local area and place pressure on the oldest fur salon in the U.S. to help close its doors." (During a protest outside a fur store; the Oregonian, June 4, 1997.)

See also:

Congress "Extreme Terrorists" Says Former ELF Spokesman FCUSA press release, Nov. 5, 2001.

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