"Day of action" plans trigger FBI warning

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The FBI sent bulletins to police, saying the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) reportedly was planning a "day of action and solidarity" that could include acts of vandalism, Olympia police Cmdr. Tor Bjornstad said.

While no specific targets were identified in the bulletin, Bjornstad said his department has contacted potential target businesses, including auto dealerships, building contractors and the Port of Olympia, which exports logs.

"We have to take it seriously, and one of the reasons is that this group has claimed credit for a fair amount of criminal activity in the past several years ... so it's not the kind of group you want to shrug off as a lot of talk and not much more," Bjornstad told The Associated Press yesterday.

ELF has been linked to fires and vandalism at agriculture research labs, logging operations, car dealerships and construction sites. The group has defended its actions as efforts aimed at stopping companies from profiting from exploiting the environment.

A Web site titled "International Day of Action & Solidarity with Jeff 'Free' Luers" featured a list of events planned for today, from protests at SUV dealerships to a naked bike ride in Olympia.

Jeff Luers is an environmental activist serving a 22-year sentence in Oregon for a 2000 arson at an auto dealership and an attempted arson at an oil company.

Bjornstad said no one in his department had heard about the naked bike event until he received the FBI bulletin Thursday.

"We're just grateful it's not pogo sticks," he said.

In addition to Olympia, the bulletins were sent to police departments in Eugene, Ore.; San Francisco; Modesto, Calif.; Morgantown, W.Va.; Portland, Maine; Worcester, Mass.; Lake Worth, Fla.; and Lawrence, Kan.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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