Protester Killed by Timber Greed

David Chain, an Earth First! activist also known as Gypsy, was killed on Thursday, September 17th, when a tree cut by a logger struck and crushed him in the Grizzly Creek area of the Headwaters Forest complex of Northern California. He died in a helicopter en route to the hospital.

A video taken by Earth First! activists contradicts Pacific Lumber's claim that the company was unaware that protesters were nearby in Grizzly Creek. The logger who later cut the tree that killed David can be heard in the video. The videotape, made less than an hour before the tree came crashing down on Gypsy, recorded the voice of the logger shouting "Oh fuck! I wish I had my fucking pistol!" Several other Earth First! activists were standing near Gypsy when the tree came crashing down.

Eight demonstrators were arrested at the site the previous day for trespassing and blocking the logging road, and two activists have been sitting on tree-top platforms in the grove for 12 days. Earth First! conducted a vigil and blockade of the logging site Friday that turned logging trucks away and no logging took place.

There has been a pattern and practice of Pacific Lumber loggers threatening and harassing forest activists, including falling trees toward them, even toppling trees that were occupied by tree-sitters, and hovering large helicopters over Julia Butterfly Hill and other tree-sitters. In the last year, Earth First! protesters have been hog-tied and lowered from tree top perches and had their tree sit safety lines cut by PL climbers. Loggers have cut trees in the direction of tree sitters, and have threatened lives by cutting trees with activists in them. Recently, activists encountered a "goon squad" of PL employees in the Mattole watershed who chased, threatened and assaulted community members who were trying to stop illegal logging in their home. The escalating use of violence by Pacific Lumber has been ignored by Humboldt County law enforcement.

At this time law enforcement agencies have ruled the death accidental based on the physical appearance of the scene and the relationship of the fallen tree and victim's body. The police have routinely refused to file charges against anybody who assaults a forest activist. They have, throughout the history of this movement, given out the message that it's all right to harass and threaten Earth First!ers.

Cat-and-mouse taunting between protesters and timber crews has gone on for years, but direct confrontations have been escalating. Earlier this year an activist took refuge in a 40 foot redwood sapling, and loggers felled the tree. Somehow the climber tumbled out unharmed. When protesters conducted peaceful sit-ins at the company's headquarters and the office of U.S. Congressman Frank Riggs, the sheriff's department daubed pepper spray near their eyes. A lawsuit by the protesters resulted in a hung jury, with a retrial scheduled for November.

50 Earth First! protesters have maintained a round-the-clock blockade since Friday, September 18th, of two logging roads leading to the site where Chain was killed. Chain's mother applauded the work that he was doing, and suggested that people who might normally send flowers instead make a donation to Earth First! In addition, you can call or fax your protest to Maxxam, attn: Charles Hurwitz (the owner of Pacific Lumber) at 713-975-7600 or 713-952-4795 (fax), John Campbell at Pacific Lumber at 707-764-4269 or 707-764-4150 (fax), or the California Department of Forestry at 707-725-4413 or 707-725-5810 (fax). PL and Hurwitz should be inundated with calls.

Contrary to Pacific Lumber's public statements, David Chain's death was the inevitable result of the timber company's deliberate campaign of violence toward environmental activists, and law enforcement agencies refusal to protect protesters. In some instances the police have even used brutal tactics against the protesters while turning the other cheek when logging companies (or any big corporation) does something wrong.

There are other ways to help out. Protesting continues in the headwaters region. In November 1997 Julia Hill, a young Earth First!er who calls herself Butterfly, climbed a 200 foot redwood near the Eel River. Butterfly, despite the clear-cutting of surrounding trees and occasional storm winds that have approached 90 m.p.h., is still there. Call 707-923-2114 or 707-923-4949 to find out where to link up with others at Headwaters. You can also send financial help to "Earth First!" and send it to Earth First! Media Center at P.O. Box 324 Redway, CA, 95560. David's family has requested that donations in his memory be made to North Coast Earth First!, P.O. Box 28, Arcata, CA 95518.

Several memorial services have already taken place. On October 1st there will be a memorial rally for David "Gypsy" Chain in Portland, at Terry Schrunk Plaza at 3rd & Madison SW from noon to 1: 00 AM. For more information about David's death check out http://www.headwatersforest.org/david.chain/index.html.

Stump Talk is written by John Reese. If you want to help out or submit an article or have suggestions for articles, write to Stump Talk c/o ETS!, e-mail can@drizzle.com, or call or send faxes to 206-632-2954.