Incident Summary:
10/24/1992: Members of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) cut 53 coyote pens, and set 15 coyotes free from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Predator Ecology Project field station in Millville, Utah in the United States, and then set the station on fire, causing $500,000 in damage. There were no casualties reported in the incident. This is linked to a similar incident on this day where members of ALF also firebombed the Utah State University office of Frederick Knowlton, the station director of the Project (102492b). Both incidents were claimed by ALF in an unsigned press release sent by fax to The Moscow-Pullman Daily News in Moscow, Idaho, stating that the raids were meant to slow the genocidal war'' against native wildlife, and the actions of the group were "nonviolent acts of self-defense on behalf of free and imprisoned coyotes everywhere.'' ALF member, Rodney Coronado, who launched "Operation Bite Back" in 1991, a five-state arson campaign against the fur industry, was later captured and indicted on federal charges for these incidents. He did not act alone, but the other perpetrators are unknown. Coronado spent three and a half years in prison for fur industry arsons.
Overview
GTD ID:
199210240017
When:
1992-10-24
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Utah
City:
Millville
Location Details:
U.S. Department of Agriculture Predator Research station
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Facility/Infrastructure Attack |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Educational Institution |
Name of Entity |
Utah State University Predator Ecology Project |
Specific Description |
field station of the Predator Ecology project conducted by the USDA and Utah State University |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Target Type: Government (General) |
Name of Entity |
United States Dept. of Agriculture Ecology Research Project |
Specific Description |
United States Dept. of Agriculture Ecology Research Project field station |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
$500,000.00 |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Incendiary |
Arson/Fire |
Sabotage Equipment |
|
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Additional Information |
This is linked to a similar incident on this day where members of ALF also firebombed the Utah State University office of Frederick Knowlton, the station director of the Project (102492b). ALF member, Rodney Coronado, who launched "Operation Bite Back" in 1991, a five-state arson campaign against the fur industry, was later captured and indicted on federal charges for these incidents and served three and a half years in prison as his sentence. He did not act alone, but the other perpetrators are unknown. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
1 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Bryan Denson and James Long, "Second of four articles; Ideologues Drive the Violence," Newshouse News Service, October 12, 1999. |
Chris Jorgensen, "Raiders Admit Firebombing Animal-Research...," The Salt Lake Tribune, November 20, 1992. |
Bryan Denson, "Sabotage in the name of the environment spreading in the West" Associated Press State & Local Wire, October 1, 1999. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties