A car bomb. A forest war. And an activist caught in the middle. When Earth First! organizer Judi Bari was nearly killed by a bomb planted beneath the driver’s seat of her Subaru, the FBI didn’t hunt for the bomber—they arrested her. What followed was a decades-long battle between environmentalists, the logging industry, and law enforcement, marked by conspiracy, smear campaigns, and civil rights violations.
In this episode, we dig into the unsolved car bombing that silenced a voice—but only briefly. We explore the psychological toll of being framed, the sociopolitical war over California’s redwoods, and why Judi Bari remains a lightning rod for activism, even after death. Was she targeted for her politics? Or was the FBI covering something up?
If you want to support us, subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast listening app!
Want to recommend a wild case or just give us a 'hey!'? Contact us at Wildcidepodcast@gmail.com
Buy Merch!: www.wildcidepodcast.com
Updates on Instagram: @wildcidepodcast
Facebook: Wildcide Podcast
Don’t forget Wildcide Wednesdays- new episodes drop every Wednesday at 6am EST. Interviews will drop every other Friday at 6am EST.
Background music by Brad Parsons at Train Sound Studio. Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen.
WILDCIDE Podcast and any content posted is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.
References:
Alternative Tentacles. (n.d.). Judi Bari. https://alternativetentacles.com/pages/artist-page/judi-bari
Bari, J. (1992). The feminization of Earth First!. History Is A Weapon. https://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/barifemef.html
Cherney, D. (n.d.). JudiBari.org: The official archive of Judi Bari’s life and case. JudiBari.org. http://www.judibari.org/index.html
Cherney, D. (2010). Motion to preserve the bombs. JudiBari.org. http://www.judibari.org/Mo-Preserve-Bombs-2010.pdf
Cherney, D. (2010). Declaration in support of motion to preserve bombs. JudiBari.org. http://www.judibari.org/Mo-Preserve-Bombs-Declaration-Cherney-2010.pdf
Fifth Estate Collective. (1997, Summer). Judi Bari lives. Fifth Estate, 349. https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/349-summer-1997/judi-bari-lives/
Greenson, T. (1997, January). Judi Bari: Outspoken and uncompromising. North Coast Journal. https://www.northcoastjournal.com/jan97/1-97.people.html
InfoRefuge. (n.d.). Judi Bari biography. https://inforefuge.com/judi-bari-bio
Industrial Workers of the World. (n.d.). Judi Bari biography. https://archive.iww.org/history/biography/JudiBari/1/
Kuletz, V. (2021, August 10). How Judi Bari tried to unite loggers and environmentalists. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/how-judi-bari-tried-to-unite-loggers-and-environmentalists/
Martin, D. (1997, March 4). Judi Bari, 47, leader of Earth First! protest on redwoods in 1990. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/04/us/judi-bari-47-leader-of-earth-first-protest-on-redwoods-in-1990.html
Trees Foundation. (2020, May 20). 30 years ago in May: The bombing of Earth First! activists Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney. https://treesfoundation.org/2020/05/30-years-ago-in-may-the-bombing-of-earth-first
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.