The FBI showed up at the scene and had the victims arrested for bombing themselves. A federal civil rights lawsuit against the feds is scheduled for trial on October 1, 2001. The FBI agents sat me down at a table and said, 'You're on that side of the table, and I'm on this side,' Josh remembers, 'and we're also kind of on opposite sides in this situation. Amold is one of the most popular speakers on the wise use circuit, and his words often seem to be fueled with religious zeal. They remain among the most hateful and effective anti-environmental groups, and are currently waging campaigns against activists in Utah and Southern Oregon, as well as many others.
Local cops are often the first line of defense.
They are the law enforcement agencies who know the players in community political struggles, so the FBI goes to them for information. They are also the ones that activists turn to when they are being harassed and often do nothing to help stop it. In rural areas, local police agencies are usually tied to the dominant industry or corporation in the region, like Humboldt County's Sheriff Dennis Lewis, who testified during the notorious pepper spray trial that he has family members who work for Pacific Lumber Company and he once worked there himself. When they ignore threats and violence against activists, it sends the message that corporate thugs can do whatever they want to eco-defenders and face no penalty. What's even worse is when the local cops jump into the fray, as the Minnehaha Free State learned in December of 1998.