"The people of this country and this world must stand up to their governments and the Captains of Industry and demand action, real meaningful change, to stop species extinction, habitat loss, climate change and the strangulation of this planet. Unless we work for change together, in a unified way, those who come after us and suffer the consequences will surely wonder who we thought we were and justly condemn us for our apathy, denial, and self-indulgence."

~ Excerpt from August 1, 2007 statement made by Jonathan Paul on federal courthouse steps moments after being sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for his role in the July 1997 arson of the Cavel West horse slaughterhouse. The slaughterhouse was never rebuilt. Over 500 horses were tortured and slaughtered weekly at Cavel West.

Who is Jonathan Paul and Why Does He Need Support Right Now?

Jonathan has been an animal and environmental activist since the 1980s and a vegan for 25 years. He and his wife live with 5 companion animals off the grid, powering their home with solar panels. Jonathan is currently serving a 51 – month sentence in federal prison in Phoenix, Arizona for his role in the 1997 arson of the Cavel West horse slaughterhouse in Redmond, OR.

Jonathan has dedicated his life to protecting the earth and alleviating the suffering of animals, human and non-human. From 1999 until the time he reported to prison in October of 2007, Jonathan served his community as an Emergency Medical Technician and volunteer firefighter. Jonathan has received numerous awards for his community service. He deserves our support and we need to let him know how much we appreciate his sacrifices.

Contact Jonathan and His Support Team

Jonathan Paul
#07167-985
FCI Phoenix
Federal Correctional Institution
37910 N. 45th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85086

Friends of Jonathan Paul
PMB 267
2305 Ashland St., Ste. C
Ashland, OR 97520

friendsofjonathanpaul@yahoo.com

What is Operation Backfire and the Green Scare?

Jonathan was arrested in January of 2006 in the largest roundup of animal rights and environmental activists in history. This was what the FBI dubbed “Operation Backfire”, also called by others the Green Scare. Fifteen activists were arrested in late 2005 and early 2006, then charged with numerous property destruction crimes. Many faced multiple life sentences.

Jonathan entered into a plea agreement that required him to plead guilty to arson and conspiracy in the Cavel West slaughterhouse fire.

In solidarity with three of his co-defendants, the plea agreement included a provision that none of the four of them would be required to implicate or identify any other individuals besides themselves, or to testify in court against anyone.

Out of 10 co-defendants, only four took this principled stand together: Daniel McGowan, Nathan (Exile) Block, Joyanna (Sadie) Zacher and Jonathan. A few months earlier, the other 6 co-defendants signed very different plea agreements that required them to implicate others.