Rod Coronado


Rodney Adam Coronado is a Native American eco-anarchist and animal rights activist. He is an advocate and former activist for the Animal Liberation Front and a spokesperson for the Earth Liberation Front. He was a crew member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and a member of the editorial collective of the Earth First! Journal. Coronado was jailed in 1995 in connection with an arson attack on research facilities at Michigan State University, which caused $125,000 worth of damage and destroyed 32 years of research data.
In 2006, while imprisoned for felony conspiracy and awaiting trial on further charges, Coronado expressed a change in his personal philosophy inspired by fatherhood. In an open letter, he wrote, "Don't ask me how to burn down a building. Ask me how to grow watermelons or how to explain nature to a child," explaining that he wants to be remembered, not as a "man of destruction but a human believer in peace and love for all." He was released on probation in December 2008, but was imprisoned again for four months in August 2010 for accepting a "friend request" on Facebook from an environmental activist, Mike Roselle, which was deemed a violation of his probation.

Background

Coronado is of Yaqui heritage and lives in Tucson, Arizona. He has a long history of activism, particularly through incendiary tactics. In 1985, at the age of 19, he joined the crew of the conservation ship, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and on November 9, 1986, he and another activist, David Howitt, sank two ships, the Hvalur 6 and Hvalur 7, accounting for half of Iceland's whaling fleet. The third whaler, Hvalur 8, was not attacked since a watchman was aboard while the fourth was in drydock. Before scuttling the ships, Coronado and Howitt caused $2 million worth of damage to the Icelandic whaling station. Coronado wrote about this action in the animal rights magazine No Compromise.
In 1995, Coronado was convicted and sentenced to 57 months in prison in connection with the February 28, 1992 arson attack on research facilities at Michigan State University, which caused $125,000 worth of damage. He was also involved in an Animal Liberation Front action, releasing mink from a nearby MSU mink research farm, wrecking equipment and opening animals' cages. As a condition of his sentence, Coronado was ordered to pay MSU $2 million in restitution. In 1992 the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, enacted largely in response to the MSU attacks, was the first legislation adding sabotage as a defined activity of eco-terrorism.

Indictments and convictions

Demonstrating an incendiary device

In February 2006, Coronado was arrested on a felony charge of demonstrating the use of an incendiary device at a public gathering in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego. The indictment indirectly relates to an August 1, 2003 fire in San Diego that destroyed an apartment complex causing an estimated $50 million worth of damage. A banner was found at the scene inscribed with the initials of the ELF. Coronado, a self-described "unofficial ELF spokesman," gave a talk on militant environmental activism in San Diego 15 hours later, where he explained how to make incendiary devices. He denies any role in the incident, and investigators do not consider him a suspect in starting the fire.
His arrest was associated with the FBI's Operation Backfire, a sweep of grand jury indictments against alleged ALF and ELF members, termed the "Green Scare" by activists. Some alternative media sources say Coronado was simply exercising his constitutional right to freedom of speech when "in response to a question from an audience member" he "demonstrated how he had constructed a non-explosive, incendiary device out of a plastic jug filled with gasoline to commit the old arson for which he did his time."
In September 2006, Coronado sent an open letter to supporters from his prison cell in Florence, Arizona, before his release on March 23, 2007. In the letter, he announced his commitment to social change through non-destructive means. Citing his desire to raise his young son without teaching him that "violence is a necessary evil", Coronado expressed hope that others in the earth and animal liberation movements would consider more peaceful methods:

Hillcrest trial

In 2007, Coronado stood trial in San Diego on charges related to his speech in 2003 in Hillcrest. After two days of deliberations, the jury remained deadlocked, and on September 19, 2007, Judge Jeffrey Miller declared a mistrial. Coronado subsequently entered a guilty plea, accepting a deal for a one-year prison term, as a result of which he was sentenced on March 27, 2008 to one year and one day. He was released from El Reno FCI on December 25, 2008. Regarding his guilty plea, he said in an open e-mail on his website:

Parole violation

In August 2010, Coronado was sentenced to four months in federal prison in Michigan for violating the terms of his probation. Coronado, who had been on parole since his release from prison, joined the social networking site Facebook. He was sentenced for the use of an unauthorized computer, and for "friending" former Earth First! co-founder Mike Roselle. Coronado entered the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan on September 16. He was released January 14, 2011.

''Strong Hearts''

Strong Hearts was a zine written and published by Coronado during his prison sentence for crimes committed on behalf of the Animal Liberation Front. The zine had a typewriter cut and paste collage format. It was printed on 8½" by 11" paper that was folded in half. There were a total of four issues published.
Some of the topics covered included Coronado's experiences with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the EZLN, animal rights, and indigenous issues. Excerpts from the zine are included in Flaming Arrows: A Compilation of Works by Rod Coronado, a collection of Coronado's writings currently published by Warcry Communications.