Judi Bari, 1949-1997

Judi Bari, 1949-1997

@box text intro = US environmental and civil rights activist Judi Bari died of cancer on March 2.

Bari came into the international limelight in 1991 when a bomb exploded in her car, leaving her crippled. She had been organising for the "Redwood Summer", which was opposing destructive "cut-and-run" logging in northern California, and it is widely believed that opponents of the campaign were responsible.

Bari died before she was able to complete legal action against the FBI, which did not properly investigate the case. The FBI initially claimed that Bari and her companion were carrying the bomb and it exploded accidentally. FBI documents were subsequently uncovered which clearly demonstrated that Bari could not have planted the bomb.

As a union organiser, Bari worked with timber unions against their multinational bosses. Through this, she became prominent in the radical environmental action group Earth First!, and became a non-violent leader when she publicly renounced the tactic of tree-spiking. It is partly through her example that tree-spiking has never become a tactic in Australia's forest movement.

Ever controversial and outspoken, Bari used her quick wit and straight-talking style to debunk extreme right-wing anti-abortion groups and multinational logging companies alike. She was a charismatic and inspiring campaigner who never gave up in spite of years of harassment and death threats for her peaceful direct action.

... Cam Walker

From GLW issue 268