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The Firebrands are a political activist group and anti-government militant organization that operates worldwide. It was originally led by its founder Ray Larson.

Background
Ray Larson was one of the founding members of the Mutant Rights Movement of the Washington University in St. Louis (MRM WUSL), one of the first major pro-mutant political movements. In 1999, MRM WUSL was disbanded as secretary and co-founder of the group, Natalia Messeter broke away from what she felt was an increasingly radical group and formed the Society for Mutant Equality (SME). About to leave university, Larson continued the MRM WUSL outside of the scope of his campus, rebranding the organisation as the Firebrands. They gained their first major publicity in May 1999, when Larson and other Firebrand members protested en masse outside the White House in response to published papers suggesting laws might be passed giving employers a legal right to know whether or not their employees possessed the mutant gene. From then on, the Firebrands have become increasingly active, and remain in operation today. Larson, however, has not been seen for some years, leading to rumours of his death. The current leader is unknown.

Criminal Activities
The Firebrands have been implicated (and, in some cases, publicly admitted to being) in various criminal activities since their rise to popularity. In 1999, Ray Larson and 5 others were positively identified during investigations into destruction of public property at a government office in Washington DC, which led to the first warrant being issued for his arrest. Since then, over 2500 criminal acts have been tied to members of the group, from minor infractions to capital crimes. The group, however, rarely gives a public response beyond the acts themselves. The fluid nature of their membership and base of operations have also made them difficult to track down. Ray Larson remains on the FBI's Most Wanted List despite having not been seen since 2011.

Firebrand History
In 1990 Devananda arrived in Colombo. A meeting was arranged by Sri Lankan intelligence between Devananda and Deputy Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeratne. Devananda offered to place the EPDP under Sri Lankan government control in return for support and protection from the Tamil Tigers. The government accepted - the EPDP had transformed itself into a paramilitary organisation. Devananda was attacked for betraying the Tamil people and collaborating with the enemy.

EPDP cadres from all over Sri Lanka and India converged on Colombo. The government gave the EPDP vast financial assistance. The EPDP, with the support of the government, took control of the islands off Jaffna peninsula after the Tigers withdrew. The EPDP used the islands as a base to transport goods, particularly dried fish, between India and Sri Lanka. It also imposed taxes. Tamils living in Colombo were extorted money.

On 1 January 1993 Tharmalingam Selvakumar, a former EPDP sympathiser, was abducted from the Premil Sports Club at Kotahena, Colombo. Selvakumar has alleged that he was taken in a van driven by Devananda to Devananda's house at 121 Park Road, Colombo 5. He was detained along with other prisoners in cells at the back of Devananda's house. Selvakumar was tortured and the EPDP tried to extort money from his family.

All of this resulted in Devananda making a fortune.

The EPDP's paramilitary wing continues to operate, despite its claims to have given up violence. The paramilitary wing has been accused to have helped the Sri Lankan Navy commit massacre in places like Allaipiddy.

Political Ideologies
Devananda and the EPDP entered politics in 1994 when it contested the 1994 parliamentary election as an independent group in Jaffna District. Most of the district was under Tamil Tiger control and so did not vote, allowing the EPDP win nine parliamentary seats with just 10,744 votes (0.14%), of which 9,944 votes came from the EPDP controlled Jafna islands. The EPDP became an ally of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her People's Alliance (PA) government.

At the 2000 parliamentary election the EPDP won 50,890 votes (0.59%), securing 4 of the 225 seats in Parliament. In October 2000 Kumaratunga appointed Devananda as Minister of Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the North, and Tamil Affairs, North and East.

At the 2001 parliamentary election the EPDP won 72,783 votes (0.81%), securing 2 of the 225 seats in Parliament. Devananda lost his ministerial post following the change of government.

At the 2004 parliamentary election the EPDP won 24,955 votes (0.27%), securing 1 of the 225 seats in Parliament. Devananda was reappointed Minister of Agriculture, Marketing Development, Hindu Education Affairs, Tamil Language & Vocational Training Centres in North when the United People's Freedom Alliance, the successor to the PA, returned to power. He was appointed Minister for Social Service and Social Welfare by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2005. There are unproved allegations of corruption against Devananda.

UEG Status
Since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war in May 2009 the EPDP has contested local and national elections under the UPFA banner rather than on its own. At the 2010 parliamentary election three EPDP members were elected on the UPFA ticket, all in from Jaffna District.