Do you think the characters were justified in breaking the law? Do you think the authorities' responses were reasonable?

Many of the characters break the law in order to bring attention to the plight of trees. Adam states that by committing arson they "accomplished more in two nights than [they] did with years of effort." Do you think their actions were justified? Do you think the authorities' responses were reasonable? When is defying the law the right thing to do, if ever?

Hoo boy, this is a tough one. It depends. If by breaking the law you endanger any human life then definitely no. If you have tried every other option to no avail, then it is possibly justified. On the side of the authorities, it is also a tricky one. In this case the author has them go to extreme measures when dealing with the activist which I did not agree with.
I remember a quote I heard from a judge once, "There is always a reason for bad behavior (criminal act, etc...) but never an excuse".

Ahh - agree this is a tough one. The conformist in me is very uncomfortable with rule-breaking but the poet in me recognizes that our country was formed by rule breakers whom I greatly admire. I appreciate the bravery of those who put themselves on the line to further their beliefs but struggle with the price.

I agree wholeheartedly with what both of the first responses say. I was a federal prosecutor so I believe in following the law, but I know that the law or what society allows can be wrong. We are currently in a time that is seeking to return to days where wilderness lands and animals are not valued. America has been blessed with overwhelming natural gifts. We must carefully manage them rather than slash and burn as we have in the past. We have acted like children grabbing the heart of the watermelon and allowing the rest to fall in the dirt, all in the name of profit. This is a long way to say that peaceful protests have a huge place in correcting our societal missteps. Stopping “progress” has been viewed as unlawful, but I believe they are necessary. This is no different than the Civil Right Movement of the sixties. The marchers broke the law, but changed the country in a positive way. The answer gets tough when life and violent property destruction become the goal.

Sometimes it takes breaking the law to bring attention to things that are wrong.

This was the only way they felt that they could be heard. I do not condone breaking the law, but when one chooses to do so, he/ she must be willing to accept the consequences. I think the authorities were following the rule of law they were told to abide.