In other news, four activists connected to the Environmental Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front pleaded guilty Thursday to a series of arsons in the Pacific Northwest. Daniel McGowan, Joyanna Zacher, Nathan Block and Jonathan Paul reached a plea bargain with the government where they took responsibility for the crimes on the condition they would never have to snitch on anyone else involved in the movement. The four had been facing sentences as severe as life plus over 1,000 years in prison. Six other activists have already pleaded guilty and are cooperating with prosecutors. According to their attorneys, the four could still face over 20 years because the government considers the arsons a form of terrorism.

Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center in Eugene, Oregon: “We believe these acts of arson are no different from any run-of-the-mill arson crimes, the only difference being is that these defendants based their acts on the simple fact that the crimes were motivated by a desire to end animal suffering and to prevent continued environmental destruction. But for their strongly held principled beliefs, we probably wouldn’t be facing this terrorism enhancement, which can add up to 20 years to their sentences.”

After the court hearing on Thursday, federal prosecutors claimed the Northwest cells of the Environmental Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front have now been effectively dismantled.