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Abstract

Earth Liberation Front (ELF) is an environmental movement which carries out radical direct actions, making it distinct from the mainstream environmental movements which implements peaceful methods in articulating their voices. Although its radical actions encounter negative responses, ELF still uses direct actions as their main tactic. In this writing, the writer seeks to uncover the reasons behind the use of radical actions by ELF. The writer uses three main concepts to arrive at the answer: civil disobedience, violence, and terrorism by Peter Singer; Gaia hypothesis by James Lovelock; and new radicalism in social movements by David Solnit. Through interviews, qualitative content analysis, and network approach, four main reasons behind the use of direct actions by ELF are found: (1) ELF fights for its environmental norms; (2) commitment to uproot capitalist system; (3) urgency to stop environmental degradation; and (4) its actions are aimed to protect the earth. The key finding in this research is anonymity within ELF, which turns out to be the most important aspect for ELF to maintain the sustainability of its movement.

References

Buku:
Connely, James dan Graham Smith. 1999. Politics and the Environment: From Theory to
Practice, 2nd edition. London: Routledge.
Doherty, Brian. 2002. Ideas and Actions in the Green Movement. London: Routledge. Laferrière, Eric dan Peter J. Stoett. 1999. International Relations Theory and Ecological
Thought: Towards a Synthesis. London: Routledge.
Potter, Will. 2011. Green is The New Red. San Fransisco: City Lights Books.
Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics, 3rd Ed. 2011.New York: Cambridge University Press.
Solnit, David (ed.). 2004. Globalize Liberation: How to Uproot the System and Build a Better World. San Fransisco: City Lights Books.

Jurnal:
Asal, Victor dan R. Karl Rethemeyer, “Dilettantes, Ideologues, and the Weak: Terrorists
Who Don’t Kill”, dalam Conflict Management and Peace Science, Vol.25 (2008).
Dalton, Russell J., Steve Recchia, and Robert Rohrschneider, “The Environmental Movement and the Modes of Political Action”, dalam Comparative Political Studies, Vol.36, No.7, September 2003.
Leader, Stefan H. dan Peter Probst. “The Earth Liberation Front and Environmental
Terrorism”, dalam Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol.15,No.4 (2003).
Vanderheiden, Steve. “Eco-Terrorism of Justified Resistance? Radical Environmentalism and the ‘War on Terror’”, dalam Politics Society, Vol.33, Issue 425 (2005).

Dokumen Resmi:
United States Government’s Sentencing Memorandum, diakses dari
http://www.targetofopportunity.com/358966.pdf.

Artikel Surat Kabar:
Vulliamy, Ed. “Eco-Activists Turn Up the Heat”, dalam The Guardian, 25 Oktober 1998.

Dokumen Internet:
Stewart, Scott. “Escalating Violence From the Animal Liberation Front”, diakses dari
http://www.animalliberationfront.com/ALFront/AgainstALF/RightsideOnALF.htm
, “About the First Amendment”, diakses dari
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/about-the-first-amendment.
, “ELF Solidarity with Luciano / “Tortuga””, diakses dari
http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/content/elf-solidarity-luciano-tortuga
, “Rodney Coronado”, diakses dari http://www.targetofopportunity.com/coronado.htm.

Sumber Lain:
ELF. “Frequently Asked Questions About the Earth Liberation Front (ELF)”. North
American ELF Press Office, 2001.

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