A word coined by the mainstream media to describe "environmental terrorist", or specifically the extremist members of the Earth Liberation Front.

People whose sole purpose is to cause destruction of private and public property with little regard of the consequences while fronting a vague political agenda of "saving the earth". They resort to such criminal tactics as arson and vandalism. This expression has been used before, but became a permanent part of the political landscape after the recent simultaneous firebombings of the University of Washington's Urban Horticulture Center and a tree farm in Clatskanie, Oregon in May, 2001; destroying years of research by scientists who are legitimately trying to "save the earth".

It's obvious that nobody's sole purpose cannot be the destruction of property per se. The most reasonable of "ecoterrorists" defend their strategy saying that they really have closed some fur shops etc. by causing considerable economical damage. I know this is true in some cases.

Usually media only devaluates the term "terrorist" when they speak about the destruction of property. The tactic of terrorist is to cause fear. I can think only few cases, mainly in Great Britain, where people are threatened by hard line environmentalists. "A vandalist" would work much better but maybe this term doesn't sell papers.

It doesn't surprise me that ecoterrorists often call themselves anarchists. At least they often come from anarchist scene and have anarchist symphatizers. But it's the classical theory of vanguard (party) what their tactics really is all about. I know they won't like this remark but just listen to old ghosts called RAF in Germany and ecoterrorists of today and you hear Lenin giving handouts for their communiques.

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