Five members of a far-left militant occupation in south Atlanta were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and other felony charges for assaults, arson, and property destruction.
On Tuesday, Georgia law enforcement arrested five militants part of a violent far-left occupation near south Atlanta, charging them with domestic terrorism and other felony charges, according to a report from journalist Andy Gno.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) conducted a raid on the so-called autonomous zone at the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center on Dec. 13.
The area has been occupied by far-left extremists from across the US since early this year, with militants constructing makeshift treehouses and assaulting responding law enforcement with rocks and bottles.
The GBI says they found explosive devices and gasoline after the rioters were cleared from the area, which had been terrorizing nearby residents, law enforcement, and construction workers.
The Atlanta Police Foundation estimates hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage have been inflicted on construction equipment in an attempt to sabotage development.
The five militants were arrested and charged with various felonies, including domestic terrorism. They are:
Serena Abby Hertel, 25, who has addresses believed to be in Los Angeles, Calif. and Boise, Idaho, was charged with domestic terrorism, criminal trespass, aggravated assault, obstruction, and inciting a riot. She was previously photographed in a mask for an Open Society Foundations-sponsored story about the autonomous zone in The Guardian.
Leonard Voiselle, 20, of Macon, Ga., was charged with domestic terrorism, criminal trespass, and possession of tools of the crime.
Nicholas Dean Olson, 25, of Bennington, Neb., was charged with domestic terrorism, aggravated assault, interference with government property, and obstruction.
Francis M. Carroll, 22, of Kennebunkport, Maine, was charged with domestic terrorism, criminal trespass, aggravated assault, felony obstruction, interference with government property, and possession of tools for the commission of the crime.
Arieon Robinson, 21, of Milwaukee, Wisc., was charged with domestic terrorism, criminal trespass, and obstruction.
The five suspects remain in Dekalb County Jail, where they are awaiting arraignment.
Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, issued a statement on Twitter following the arrest: “We will not rest when it comes to bringing domestic terrorists to justice, and these arrests should serve as a strong reminder of that.”
