Tree-sitter hit by arrow at Sten Tree-sit

I have been working in support of the Sten campaign and apparently 2 activists that were attacked met with officer Fletcher sunday intending to file a police report on this incident and gave their names to him. Why is he saying no one would give their names and why didn't he take a report? Why isn't the USFS investigating this violent attack, which appears to be attempted murder? There is also an activist waiting on site at the tree-sit, wanting to file a report and quite willing to give his name but the FS is refusing to go out there and take his report.

from kugn radio(eugene):


attacks
kugn news has learned there are claims by some environmentalists that some
tree sitters... protesting the sten timber sale about 60 miles east of
eugene... have been attacked. the claim is that someone with a high powered
bow and arrow shot at a protestor who was in a tree on saturday. the arrow
grazed the protestors hand. another arrow punctured a hole in a water jug
in the tree. a forest service police officer, joe flecher told kugn he was
called on sunday more than 24 hours after the incident occurred. flecher
says the people who called him refused to identify themselves and refused to
bring any evidence of the incident. flecher says given those facts he was
unable to move forward with an investigation. flecher says there are also
claims that anti logging tree sitters were shot at six times by someone
using a gun or rifle late last month. flecher says the people who called
refused to give their names or offer any evidence regarding that incident.
protestors have been trying to stop the sten timber sale which is being
logged by freres brothers logging company.

Y'all need to choose one person who actually saw the attacks and have them identify themself to an officer in order to swear a complaint. If there's really mortal danger here, surely it's worth the sacrifice of anonymity for one of the sitters involved to help ensure the safety of the rest.

As it is, it looks like this all may be a staged publicity stunt, and if that's the case it surely ain't going to be well-received by the general public. (Honestly I'm not sure that I beleive this, and I'm about as sympathetic to your cause as moderates get.)

Also, the sitters claim to have the arrow and a license plate number. Let's get a pic of the arrow, one of the wound, and the license plate number posted up here. (But it damn well better be for real, or the owner of the plate is going to get a real crapflood for no good reason.)

It's been obvious since Gypsy's death that the System refuses to recognize our human rights. Now we see yet again that the System encourages acts of violence against peace loving and ecologically concerned
citizens. We see that the protection of profit supercedes protection of life. We note that they make us felons because of our philosophy and cut off our access and participation in the political process. The fools forget the lessons of denying portions of the body politic. "No Taxation Without Representation!"
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!"

They forget that actions speak louder than words, and their actions declare war. We are labelled as the number one terrorist threat in the nation. Ghandi's time is over and done. Do your reserch and prepare your minds. Stop talking to the wrong people. There are those among us that have the skills to deal with the situation. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over hoping for different results. They've fixed it so we can be imprisoned for just sitting there. We already put our lives on the line. Tell me what's keeping the environmental movement insane and immoblized?

Be all that you can be! Be an Army of One! It's time to do something different, to do something effective! Aim high.

Two activists met with FS LEO and Sheriff's deputy sunday, both were persons who witnessed the attack, one was the person who first faced off the assailant as he was getting out of his vehicle. The other person is a well known community activist, both gave their true names to the authoritys and requested to file a formal complaint. Both agencys beat around the bush and told them they could only take a report from the person who was hit by the arrow(meaning that person would have to come down out of the tree and subject themselves to arrest)not "witnesses" to the assault, even though the "witnesses" were threatened and chased through the forest by the assailant. I was personally present when they made their initial calls to both agencys and gave their names.

Get serious, Army. If I've counted correctly, there have been three incidents involving maybe four hostile people. That's serious, true, but ain't war.

Someone needs to stand guard(in the bushes where they're not easily spotted/targeted) to return fire. It is not illegal to defend yourself against civilians. Just make sure the attackers fire first.
The FS is not going to do anything to the attackers. In fact, they are probably paying them to do it. You must defend yourselves or they will continue to do it until you back down or die.

If these idiots are threatening peoples life you must act in self defense. Just because we are peace activists doesn't mean we have to stand down in the face of violence, especially when your life is at risk.

TS Grrrl, if y'all do that make sure to get it all on video, from many cameras and angles. Use still cameras too: muster a few with decent telephoto lenses, and make sure that every person on site carries at least a cheap film camera at all times. Have everyone photograph every visitor, including the USFS people.

I think y'all will be better off in the long run if you don't respond violently, though. Many photos should be enough to deter further violence, or to ensure prosecution by county or state police even if the USFS does noting.

The would-be murderer comes out on the weekends, and this weekend is fast approaching. We need to mobilize as many supporters as possible for the well-being of all. There are folks currently occupying unit 43 in the Sten timber sale, off of Route 126, Boulder Creek Road (FS Road 2653), and road 865, but the best way to deter violence is with plenty of witnesses. Please, all locals who have any interest whatsoever in seeing their national forests standing vertical, and keeping human beings vertical (i.e. not dead), then please contact Cascadia Forest Defenders @  forestdefenders@riseup.net or call 684-8977. Now is the time for action.

I agree, strength in numbers, everyone who can possibly spare a few days, a week or a few weeks should go out to the site and make the campaign stronger.

With respect and solidarity for those making decisions for their collectives and AGs, please prepare well for any counter-offensive, should you determine that your actions in response to corporate/State violence be advanced to a level more expressive of your committments than passive monitoring, non-violent occupation, submitting appeals and motions for injunctive relief that goes violated or denied, and trying to file ineffective complaints.

The corporate/State agents (ad hoc and official) will likely relish the opportunity to reach deeper into their stores of tools of repression and revenge, immediately and sharply.

The upgraded response to the capitalist/State agents should be swift, designed for overwhelming, certain success at its first application, followed by equally well planned swift and certain long term escape and evasion and spin-off on other fronts and actions of resistance to corporate/State forces, i.e. follow-up strikes at the oppressors. Further, it's suggested that consideration be included as to the fate of any innocent, non-participating bystanders, if in the vicinity of the action, who will likely be targeted for violent retribution even if they were not involved in the action.

This is not intended to encourage either non-violent or violent protest, at the exclusion of the other. Let diversity of tactics prevail.

Plan well for the long, successful struggle.

"The corporate/State agents (ad hoc and official) will likely relish the opportunity to reach deeper into their stores of tools of repression and revenge, immediately and sharply."


Surely the forces of darkness are eager to swoop in at the first sign of militant retaliation by activists against the violent crapheads who have been attempting to harm or even kill the tree-sitters. And the state would deal with violence administered by activists, even in the form of self defense in an entirely different manner. The state seems quite OK with violent psycopaths assaulting activists but any self-defense measures undertaken by activists will result in violent retribution on the part of the state. Let's not go there.

If some fucking billy bob with a hunt'n gun or bow or any other lethal weapon shows his gaping, sweaty, greasy brow to me, I will promptly blow a hole through it. Self defense is self defense. Don't fuck around with radical forest activists. We're not pacifists and we WILL defend ourselves.

There's a little trick you pull to 'guard' approaches to an area. Thread and a can with marbles in it. Be clever in your tag line layout and response to alarms. Paint guns for marking things are also kinda cool. Hostile shooters operate at a disadvantage 'cause they have to infiltrate an area while the homies can sit down knowing where to walk. Sectors of observation are helpfull.

You've got to keep in mind how the aggressors of forest activists will react if we give up on non-violence and take up arms. How long until canopy occupations are swarmed and the occupants openly killed? I think this is what it'll come to if we become aggressors. They already call forest defenders terrorists and have much of the public in agreement; once the media throws in that "tree-sitters are armed and dangerous," they'll easily be convinced that we should be taken out at any cost. That's what I'm afraid of.

booby trap the hell out of the forest, once they trip one or two they is gonna be real freaked out about going further. let them know you will defend yourself.

i once saw an LEO back down from a crusty tree sitter with a stick that was swinging back and forth saying "This is an Autonomous zone, I have to warn you that you must stay back at least 50 feet." all the while madly thrashing the stick around before running into the woods and disappearing like a forest sprite.

remember kidz that the more ludicrous the defensive action the more it throws them off cuz their brains can't deal with..

use your imagination. defend yourselves. non-violence can only go so far. what do you do when your life is directly threateened? you protect the forest to preserve wild nature. humans are animals who have wild nature. you are natural(somewhat) living humans. let your human nature of self preservation live.

the forest knows why you are there. i have seen the forest protect the people there to help it. listen to the animals they have better eyes and ears than we do and they know when something is gonna go down.

at a place i once spent a great deal of time the threat of logging loomed. the crows would talk with me and we became friends, i learned a bit of their language, and anyone who knows forest crows also knows they got a diverse range of personality and expression in there language. anyways... i learned that the crows had a network along the road and a series of calls that they would give if someone was approaching, be it on foot or in vehicle. i could tell by what call and where the call came from as to where the people coming in were. hell the crows even let me know whether they had passed the gate or stopped, this of course i could hear myself if i was close, but sometimes i couldn't hear the road but i could hear the crows...the forest is your ally.
keep up the fight
you have my thoughts and energy with you.

Thus far, there's no evidence that this is anything more than some peabrained yahoos who may soon make a big mistake and find themselves behind bars or worse, hopefully. The best recourse for forest defenders is to organize. The cowards who are sniping are not likely to stand their ground against a big organized group of people as soon as they have grounds to fear they can't act with impunity. Obviously the "official" criminals who are allowing the logging in the first place are not going to do anything to them. So get more people on the scene; that's the best recipe here.

seriously though, givng your indenity to USFS to file a police report??? do you hear what you people here are calling for?

Mycorrhiza is right although I tweek at the overall tenor of his comment. Me thinks he's an LEO although possibly a sympathetic one. Who knows?

There are serious consequences to abandoning non-violence. Please my very dear friends and comrades, do not be rash. Prepare. There is plenty of information out there. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Use small teams - one operator, one observer and one to monitor overall and make sure that evidence is removed and footprints wiped out. Wear disposible clothes, cover your hair, your skin, your eyes, nose and mouth. Wear socks to cover your shoes. Then destroy all traces. Use WD-40 spray to obliterate fingerprints. Do not leave your DNA to be found to convict you. Even then expect to be apprehended or underground for an extended period of time. Build an underground network of support, yet tell no one your plans. Even your brother and/or sister can be coerced into giving you away when faced with imprisonment. Expect no compassion or quarter. Yet do not let fear panic you. If they want to label us as terrorists, what have we to lose by being terrorists.

Do not take life except to preserve life against those who have shown they will take yours. Damage their vehicle so they have to walk home and be in fear that another actor such as they may be around the next bend or in the bushes. These people use their vehicles to identify themselves. It will wound their psyches.

When the System can use Peaceful and Non-Peaceful tools, they will always win. When we can accept the use of Peaceful and Non-Peaceful tools the playing field is leveled. If we can be creative to develop a third set of tools to add to Peaceful and Non-Peaceful tool sets, we will win. Watch how the right wing paradigm is corroding before our eyes. Watch as the sheeple wake up to the environmental devastation of the corporate toxins that have killed New Orleans.

Do not do this if you are not prepared in mind body and spirit! If you are and are willing to accept the responsibility for your actions - Blessings and Gaia's Speed upon you! Now is the time for this consideration. Now is the time for this discussion. Now is the time to decide to shit or get off the pot.

The history of resistance groups in the US shows us that
armed resistance cannot work if you have a physical base
that cannot be moved, i.e., the Black Panthers, Randy
Weaver, the Move Family, etc. Note that the Black Panthers
were mainly armed for self-defense, yet were targeted
for murder.

Individual guerrilla tactics need to be aware of thermal
imaging and infrared technologies. Protecting against
DNA loss is an art.

Back2theWall and the bus named "cool" will be heading down to the "sten" timber sale next Tuesday to offer support to the brave people there.

The day of action includes a protest at the Porltand metro office of Bosie Cascade (who has renigged on their agreement not to log old growth and is currently logging old growth in the B&B fire area).

Following the "noon" protest at the Boise Cascade office, we will be going down to Eugene and spending the night with the treesitters to offer our support. The next day (Wednesday), we will head over to Robbie Freras's office to let him know that we don't appreciate his sponsored intimidation of forest defenders.

This sort of thing has been typical of Freras in the past.

If you want to go down to Sten, bring camping gear and food and water for the treesitters.
For more info..
Contact Joe (503) 234-2613
or
Steve (503) 772-3164

More information to come soon.

while the comment was interesting , it was not mine.......

This afternoon USFS law enforcement and Lane Co. Sheriff's Dept. sent climbers up and evicted 2 of the three tree-sits at the Sten Tree Village. More information will be forthcoming soon.

I think these guys are ramping up to kill somebody.

However, they're not the enemy. They have little to do with our end-goal. They are not our war. They are a distraction.

They're not committed to a cause, they're just angry and homicidal and should be treated as such.

Like bad children, they must be reprimanded. But not by us. By the legal system. We must reserve our fight for our real battles.

While I respect Army of One's opinion and his devotion, it must be by legal means that these guys are stopped.

If not, escalation will ensue. And everything will be sidetracked.

Then the bosses have won.

We must force the system to do what it's supposed to in this instance. This isn't always the case, but certainly in this instance.

These shooters are not the enemy. This is not a war. They're criminals. Are we fighting criminality or the destruction of the our forests?

These guys should be treated as lunatics. They are not worthy adversaries. They're a distraction.

We must force the legal system to deal with them, not take that task upon ourselves.

gts

Get a grip, people. At this point, there's not the slightest evidence that these guys were organized and deliberately sicced on the forest defenders by the authorities, nor by big timber interests directly. These guys are freelance terrorists. Perhaps the authorities would be happy to let them go and kill someone before they lift a finger to do anything about it though. That's why, as gsharp says, you have to FORCE them to do something, by having a lot people documenting this shit.

Listen-
If you want to be violent, then be violent on your own time, in your own space. The most important voices are missing from this discussion, those of the tree-sitters. Most of the forest defenders that I know have taken vows of non-violence for a very specific reason, we want to preserve tree-sitting as a non-violent course of action so that people don't get hurt. If activists retaliate with violence in an established location then the authorities win. If you want to be violent to people or property, you have to take the battle to their ground, thats one of the first rules of guerilla tactics. But remember, violence, however well intentioned, will always come back to you. Use it only as an act of desperation and use it wisely. And not at a tree-sit.

Interesting to read that you have these problems in a country, where the president do NOT beleave in the green house effect !
Hope he is the only one in the world !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!