Earth First Car Bombing (1990)

Thu May 24, 1990

Image: Police photo of Judi Bari's bombed Subaru station wagon. Judi Bari's website alleges that this photo proves the bomb was hidden under her driver's seat, not in plain view on the back seat floor as FBI claimed. [judibari.org]

On this day in 1990, in Oakland, California, an assassination attempt was made against environmental activists and political radicals Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney when a car bomb beneath Judi's seat exploded; both survived.

Bari was severely injured by the blast, while Cherney suffered minor injuries. The bombing took place in the context of the Redwood Summer protests organized by Earth First!, the culmination of years of labor organizing and environmental activism in California by Bari.

FBI bomb investigators were present on the scene of the bombing almost immediately, leading some to speculate that the FBI either knew of the bombing or was directly involved in it. Bari was arrested for transporting explosives while she was still in critical condition with a fractured pelvis and other major injuries. In 2002, a federal jury found the FBI had violated Bari and Cherney's civil rights in the case, and the pair was later awarded a $4.4 million payout, although Bari had died five years earlier.

FBI analysis of the explosion dismissed the idea that the bomb was designed by Bari or Cherney. The identity of the bomber is still unknown. As for the protests, subsequent attendance was lower than organizers had hoped, and in November the pro-environment ballot initiative Proposition 130 was defeated by California voters.

• Date: 1990-05-24
• Learn More: www.judibari.org, www.northcoastjournal.com.
• Tags: #Assassinations, #Terrorism, #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org