monkeywrenching

Monkeywrenching is a form of nonviolent disobedience and sabotage carried out by environmental activists against perceived ecological exploiters. The term gained prominence after Edward Abbey's novel The Monkey Wrench Gang. It can involve nonviolent actions like activists placing themselves between harpoons and whales or chaining themselves to equipment to halt operations.1

Monkeywrenching also includes the destruction of unattended property, such as scuttling whaling vessels, cutting fishing nets, or contaminating the fuel of earthmoving equipment. Arson, like burning down construction sites or dealerships selling inefficient cars, is another tactic used by groups like the Earth Liberation Front. While typically aimed at property and not directly endangering lives, some actions, like tree spiking, can pose long-term dangers. Monkeywrenching is distinct from ecoterrorism, though the lines can sometimes blur.12