Federal prosecutors have unsealed a sweeping indictment against 15 individuals linked to Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN), a Minneapolis-based activist network that authorities say coordinated efforts to obstruct federal immigration enforcement operations.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), several of those charged were connected through an encrypted messaging app called Signal Messenger where they are classified into sub-groups based on their roles.
Among the allegations detailed in the indictment is a social media post attributed to one of the defendants in which the individual allegedly described the burning of Minneapolis' Third Precinct police station during the 2020 unrest as the happiest moment of his life.
Prosecutors included the statement as part of a bigger effort to demonstrate what they characterise as a history of support for militant direct action and confrontational tactics.
Prosecutors Paint Picture of Coordinated Activism
Federal authorities allege that members of Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN) coordinated surveillance activities designed to interfere with immigration enforcement operations conducted during the Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge.
According to the indictment, participants allegedly used encrypted communications, conducted surveillance of federal facilities, tracked law enforcement vehicles, and coordinated rapid responses to enforcement actions.
The Justice Department announced that all 15 defendants face conspiracy-related allegations tied to efforts to impede federal officers. Several defendants were also charged with additional offences, including conspiracy to impede federal officers, interstate stalking and threats, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, assault on federal officers, and destruction of government property.
Announcing the charges on Tuesday, US Attorney Daniel Rosen said the case centres on the defendants' alleged actions rather than their views or statements, arguing that prosecutors are pursuing conduct they believe interfered with federal law enforcement efforts. Rosen said the 15 were 'charged not for what they said but what they did.'
Third Precinct Fire Returns to Spotlight
The Minneapolis Third Precinct became one of the most recognisable symbols of the unrest that followed George Floyd's death in 2020. After crowds overran the station, it was set on fire, forcing police officers to abandon the building.
Investigations following the incident resulted in multiple arson prosecutions, and court records showed that several individuals later admitted their roles in helping set the precinct on fire. Prosecutors described the destruction as a significant criminal act that endangered lives and contributed to damage.
A member of DAMN, Cameron Kennedy, who described himself as a 'revolutionary anarchist' per a report by the DOJ, said the burning of the precinct was 'the happiest moment of my life,' adding that some of the early organising activity were linked to widening resistance efforts against ICE.
'A lot of mutual aid networks that were later characterised...this resistance to ICE came from the George Floyd uprising,' Kennedy stated.
The indictment arrives amid an ongoing national debate over the boundaries between protest activity and criminal conduct. Supporters of the defendants have argued that federal authorities are targeting political activists, while prosecutors insist the charges are based on specific actions rather than ideology.
Twelve defendants were taken into custody following the unsealing of the indictment, while one was already being held on separate federal charges. Authorities said two others remained at large when the charges were announced.
