Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Darryl Cherney who explains what the activists hope to gain from the lawsuit and the relevance of the case to progressive movements across the nation.

Earth First! Activist and Bombing Victim Darryl Cherney Describes Lawsuit Against FBI and Oakland Police Dept.

Interview by Between the Lines' Melinda Tuhus.

In May 1990, a bomb exploded in the car of Oakland, Calif. Earth First! activists Judy Bari and Darryl Cherney. Bari was almost killed, while Cherney suffered lesser injuries. The Oakland Police Dept. and the FBI arrested Bari and Cherney while they lay in their hospital beds, charging them with carrying the device and of being terrorists who planned to use the bomb in their campaign to save Northern California's Redwood Forests from clearcutting. With no evidence to back up their claim, authorities were forced to drop the charges, but not before conducting a damaging smear campaign against Earth First!

In the 11 years since, Earth First! activists have continued their direct action campaigns to save old-growth forests, but they have also sought justice in the courts over the bombing case. Bari and Cherney sued the Oakland Police and the FBI for civil rights violations. Despite Judi Bari's death from cancer in 1997, the case has gone forward and a trial is set to begin Oct. 1.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Darryl Cherney who explains what the activists hope to gain from the lawsuit and the relevance of the case to progressive movements across the nation(A RealAudio Version of this interview may be found At http://www.btlonline.org) .

To find out more about the lawsuit, call Earth First! at (707) 498-2700 or visit the plaintiff's Web site at www.judibari.org

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