Leslie James Pickering
Encyclopedia
Leslie James Pickering is an American Activist and former spokesperson for the Earth Liberation Front Press Office
advocating for political and social justice
, human rights
, and environmental protection
.
leaflet at a music concert Pickering began to study radical and revolutionary
movements of the past. His studies led to his eventual involvement in an organization known as the Liberation Collective in Portland, Oregon
. When the organization received a communique from a closely aligned group, the Earth Liberation Front
, co-founder Craig Rosebraugh
and Pickering decided to establish the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office in 1999.
The ELF was classified as the top "domestic terror" threat in the United States by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
in March 2001,
As the Earth Liberation front garnered more mainstream media attention Pickering continued to articulate the ideology of the Earth Liberation front for television and print media including interviews for 60 Minutes
, National Geographic: Inside Basecamp and The New York Times
. Pickering continued to speak to the press about the Earth Liberation Front even though he and Rosebraugh both resigned from the NAELFPO in 2002.
After resigning from the Earth Liberation Front Press Office Pickering began writing books on radical figures and revolutionary movements and participated in speaking engagements in addition to his ongoing activism and environmental advocacy. In 2011 Pickering was featured in the ELF based documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
and opened a bookstore specializing in radical history, literature, films, and lectures in his hometown of Buffalo, New York.
Earth Liberation Front Press Office
The North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office is a legal, above-ground news service dedicated to publicizing the direct action of the Earth Liberation Front ....
advocating for political and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
.
Biography
Inspired by an animal rightsAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
leaflet at a music concert Pickering began to study radical and revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
movements of the past. His studies led to his eventual involvement in an organization known as the Liberation Collective in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. When the organization received a communique from a closely aligned group, the Earth Liberation Front
Earth Liberation Front
The Earth Liberation Front , also known as "Elves" or "The Elves", is the collective name for autonomous individuals or covert cells who, according to the ELF Press Office, use "economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the environment".The ELF was founded...
, co-founder Craig Rosebraugh
Craig Rosebraugh
Craig Rosebraugh is a writer, filmmaker and activist advocating for political and social justice, human rights, and environmental and animal protection.- Activism :...
and Pickering decided to establish the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office in 1999.
The ELF was classified as the top "domestic terror" threat in the United States by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
in March 2001,
As the Earth Liberation front garnered more mainstream media attention Pickering continued to articulate the ideology of the Earth Liberation front for television and print media including interviews for 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, National Geographic: Inside Basecamp and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Pickering continued to speak to the press about the Earth Liberation Front even though he and Rosebraugh both resigned from the NAELFPO in 2002.
After resigning from the Earth Liberation Front Press Office Pickering began writing books on radical figures and revolutionary movements and participated in speaking engagements in addition to his ongoing activism and environmental advocacy. In 2011 Pickering was featured in the ELF based documentary If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front is a documentary film by filmmaker Marshall Curry, exploring the origins, motives, and organization of the Earth Liberation Front and Eco-terrorism in general...
and opened a bookstore specializing in radical history, literature, films, and lectures in his hometown of Buffalo, New York.
Political views
Pickering espouses highly controversial revolutionary ideology:Books
- The Earth Liberation Front: 1997-2002 2007; Portland, Oregon: Arissa Media Group. ISBN 978-0974288406
- Mad Bomber Melville (paperback). 2007; Portland, Oregon: Arissa Media Group. ISBN 978-0974288444
- Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism: The Collective Autobiography of the RNC 8 (editor). 2011; Portland, Oregon: Arissa Media Group. ISBN 9781936900183