Four years ago, political activist Jeff “Free” Luers, fed up with the excessive carbon dioxide spit into the air by poor gas-mileage sport utility vehicles, set fire to three of them at a Eugene Chevrolet dealership.
Luers was sentenced to 22 years and eight months in prison — a length of time Luers’ supporters find unfair, considering that some murderers and rapists are sent to jail for much shorter periods.
This month marks the fourth anniversary of Luers’ arrest, and on June 12 WOW Hall will feature a show of music and speeches for the “Day of Solidarity for Eugene Political Prisoner Jeff ‘Free’ Luers.”
Speakers Kevin Price and Ramona Africa from the MOVE organization and Claude Marks of the Freedom Archives will discuss Luers and other activists who were punished for their actions. Both Africa and Marks have been imprisoned for political actions.
The band Blackfire will perform Native American-influenced punk tunes at the event.
Break the Chains, an organization that supports prisoners convicted for their political activism, will host the event along with Free’s Support Network. Break the Chains volunteer Brendan Avakian said the event will show how appalled many people were by the length of Luers’ sentence.
“If people come to the event, they will understand why we are against his imprisonment,” he said.
Luers began fighting for change in issues such as animal rights, anti-fascism and eco-defense in 1996. His primary concerns have been environmental — he strove to stop global warming and air, soil and water pollution. When he burned three of what he believed were prominent
examples of sources of global warming on June 16, 2000, he said he took every precaution to make sure no one was injured. Still, starting a fire in a public place is an act even Luers’ supporters find unwise.
“I don’t think what he did was strategic,” Avakian said. “We’re only against the length of his sentence.”
University Spanish instructor Jesus Sepulveda said Luers’ act was harmless in comparison to the damage SUVs are causing to the planet. Luers has been called a “terrorist” by some authorities, but Sepulveda believes his act fought against terrorism.
“It was a political statement and he didn’t intend to hurt anyone,” he said. “It was a political statement against violence — violence is anything that harms living creatures. The only real terrorism here is state and corporate terrorism, which goes against people and the planet.”
Some supporters believed that police had been monitoring Luers, who was a well-known activist, and even followed him the night of his crime and watched him set fire to the vehicles without stopping him so they could arrest him for arson. Luers’ supporters feel he was evaluated and sentenced not for his crime, but for his political beliefs. Eugene resident Carly Deicher, who raises awareness with different organizations about Luers’ case, said his punishment was entirely unjust.
“He received such a lengthy sentence because what he did had political motivation,” she said in an e-mail interview. “Had he done it for money or some other ‘socially acceptable’ reason his sentence would have been the same as others — usually about three to five years. Rape is frequently an eight-year sentence — manslaughter might be 10 years. What Jeff did was property destruction. His crime involved no violence against a human being, and for him to receive a sentence more than double that of a violent crime such as rape or manslaughter is clearly unjust.”
The reason for Luers’ term of 22 years and eight months is Oregon’s mandatory minimum sentencing guideline, which requires Luers to serve seven years for each car burned plus additional time for possession of incendiary devices and attempted arson.
Currently, Luers continues to be active in prison. He has published writings and artwork and is taking sociology and paralegal courses. His appeal process is coming up in July, which could possibly lead to a reduced sentence.
“He is very strong and is making the most of his time and his situation, but he is locked up, a condition that is torture for anyone, but especially someone who is so connected to and concerned with the environment,” Deicher said. “There is nothing natural around him in prison. He is surrounded by men, many of whom he has nothing in common with except that they are forced to live in the same concrete and barbed wire structure.”
WOW Hall is located at 291 W. Eighth Ave. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available for $5 at WOW Hall’s box office.