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January 09, 2003
Press Release: ELF TARGETS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA For Immediate Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA - In what was likely its final act of 2002, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) has claimed an action in Northeast Philadelphia targeting urban sprawl and the development of "luxury houses". Construction vehicles and a show home were damaged by "long-time residents of Philadelphia... who are tired of seeing the earth destroyed for money".
The letter claiming the action went on to say, "We pray the destruction of developers in Philadelphia/the suburbs is stopped - and that our kids don't grow up in a concrete world, built over ashes of the destroyed earth."
The ELF Press Office received the letter of claim (attached below) via a Philadelphia newspaper. Although the letter does not claim this as an ELF action, grafitti at the housing development site indicates that this was the work of the ELF. This action took place December 28th, 2002.
The Earth Liberation Front is an international underground organization that uses direct action in the form of economic sabotage to stop the destruction of the natural environment. In North America alone since 1997, the ELF has caused over $45 million in damages to entities who profit from the destruction of life.
[begin] Greetings. Recently, we visited a housing construction site in Northeast
Philadelphia, along Rhawn St., to give a Christmas present to the
developers. There, what was natural land - and a home for birds, squirrels, deer, etcetera - is now a sprawling pit of mud. Others attempts at stopping this devastation failed; we felt the only thing we could do, and the thing that felt right, was to fight back for those who cant. So we went to the site and attacked construction vehicles however we were able to - glued locks, sugared gas tanks, disconnected hoses, spray painted vehicles, broke windows. Also we attacked the "sample house" on Rhawn St. - the first house built, to attract buyers. We covered the walls in spray paint, glued locks, and broke many windows.
We are not "terrorists." We are not teenage vandals. We are middle-aged,
long-time residents of Philadelphia/the suburbs who are tired of seeing the earth destroyed for money. New housing units (and these are "luxury houses," starting at $200,000) are not needed; tens of thousands of housing units in Philadelphia are vacant, or for sale. There is no excuse for the terrorism of developers, destroying the little bit of natural land left for money.
We will not sign our names, but we want to. If construction is stopped and the woods allowed to grow back, we will turn ourselves in gladly. We pray the destruction of developers in Philadelphia/the suburbs is stopped - and that our kids don't grow up in a concrete world, built over ashes of the destroyed earth.
"Sally and Peter" Philadelphia/suburbs
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