Leslie James Pickering
| Leslie James Pickering | |
|---|---|
| Born | Buffalo, New York, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Activist, writer |
| Employer | Burning Books[1] |
| Known for | Spokesman for the Earth Liberation Front from 1997 to 2002 |
| Website | LeslieJamesPickering.com |
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.
Career
Inspired by an animal rights leaflet at a music concert[2] 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.[3] 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, [4][5] 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[6] and The New York Times.[7] 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[8] and opened a bookstore specializing in radical history, literature, films, and lectures[9][10] in Buffalo, New York.
Political views
Pickering has said:
"I don't think that slow progress is going to do it, though. This isn't a quality-of-life issue that we're dealing with, the environment. It's not something that we can pretend will be solved with our nonprofit, tax-deductible donations. This is a global catastrophe, and if we don't act accordingly, the planet's going to be dead. It's not going to matter how uncomfortable we are with arson, or sabotage, or property destruction, or violent revolution, when the planet is dead. It's not going to matter."[3]
Books
- The Earth Liberation Front: 1997–2002 2007; Portland, Oregon: Arissa Media Group. ISBN 978-0-9742884-0-6
- Mad Bomber Melville (paperback). 2007; Portland, Oregon: Arissa Media Group. ISBN 978-0-9742884-4-4
- Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism: The Collective Autobiography of the RNC 8 (editor). 2011; Portland, Oregon: Arissa Media Group. ISBN 978-1-936900-18-3
Personal life
Pickering lives in Buffalo, New York with his wife Theresa Baker and their daughter. He has been under FBI surveillance and has his mail monitored.[11][12] He grew up in East Aurora and West Seneca, New York.[13]
References
- ↑ Mark Sommer (May 1, 2013). "Bookstore owner singled out for his radical past". The Buffalo News. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Final Statement of Leslie James Pickering as Spokesperson for the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office". June 15, 2002.
- 1 2 "Film Feature If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front". July 14, 2011.
- ↑ "Domestic terror: Who's most dangerous?". August 24, 2005.
- ↑ Congressional Testimony: "The Threat of Eco-Terrorism", FBI, February 12, 2002.
- ↑ "Extreme Environmentalist on Radical Change". April 22, 2003.
- ↑ "Fires Believed Set as Protest Against Genetic Engineering". May 23, 2001.
- ↑ "Eco-Terrorism Documentary Incites Debate". June 26, 2011.
- ↑ "Cover Story: Burning Books". Buffalo: Art Voice. September 8, 2011.
- ↑ Geoff Kelly, ed. (April 4, 2013). "The USA vs. Leslie James Pickering". Buffalo: Art Voice.
- ↑ Ron Nixon (July 3, 2013). "U.S. Postal Service Logging All Mail for Law Enforcement". The New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
Leslie James Pickering, the owner of a bookstore in Buffalo, was targeted by a tracking program from the United States Postal Service.
- ↑ Geoff Kelly (April 4, 2013). "The USA vs. Leslie James Pickering". Artvoice. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
- ↑ Phil Fairbanks (June 26, 2013). "Former Earth Liberation Front spokesman files federal suit for information from FBI". The Buffalo News. Retrieved April 5, 2015.