"Our very reason for taking action against the companies that destroy our planet comes from our own anger. But we do have to try to keep it as safe as we can. If you're out on some logging road in the middle of nowhere, stopping trucks or keeping loggers from going to work, it's easy to provoke them and people get hurt," Sleeper said. He told us how even a smile, if it is though to be sarcastic, could piss off someone enough to attack the activist who flashed it.

"And don't ever start laughing," he said. "I saw a guy get his ribs kicked in while he was sitting down just because he started laughing. Nothing will get a cop or a logger more pissed-off than some hippie laughing while blocking some road or chaining himself to some piece of equipment." Then he went over the code and explained each part.

"Keep an attitude of openness, fairness and respect at all times." This applies to activists as much as it does to cops and loggers. Sleeper said the attitudes of Earth First!ers toward each other can break solidarity during an action. He told us a story about a guy who told other activist they weren't "hard core" enough because they hadn't been arrested as many times as he had. Sleeper explained that if they had done an action together they would have had a hard time trusting each other when the cops came to arrest them.

"Use no violence, physical or verbal, toward any person." With knowing looks in their eyes, Sleeper and Cricket told us that even while being maced and clubbed, the worst thing a protester could do is fight back.

"Damage no property," This one confused me. I had often heard stories of Earth First! boats ramming whaling ships or environmentalists destroying ski lifts after trees were replaced by their metal towers. Sleeper explained that the Non-Violence Code is unique to North Coast Earth First! But adopting it hasn't always kept them out of trouble. In 1989, Earth First! was blamed for an injury at a lumber mill involving a spiked tree. Cricket told us it was later proven to be the work of some disgruntled employee, but the environmentalists were still blamed.

"No guns." No explanation was given for this one. And none was needed.

"No drugs or booze at actions." We were told to imagine getting arrested while doing an action like blocking a road on private property. Then we were told to imagine the cops finding a bag of weed on us. There is probably nothing stupider than turning a trespassing charge into a charge for possession.

"Don't run." At large urban demonstrations, a panicky crowd that takes off running could be dangerous. Cricket said. I was thinking more along the lines of some burly cop or logger waiting for the chance to chase down some skinny hippie and teach him a lesson. A one-on-one confrontation seems more frightening to me, I guess. I realized what Cricket meant by protesting not being a passive act. As peaceful as you thing you're being, you're still the antagonist and you're still the one who came to stir things up.

"Be aware of fire danger." I laughed out loud when they read it. Nothing in this world could be more embarrassing to an environmentalist than being the cause of death for thousands of trees and forest creatures.

Next