Over the weekend, rioters vandalized a federal immigration court that also serves as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Atlanta, Ga.
Rioters gathered at the federal courthouse on 180 Ted Turner Drive on Saturday night and set fire to barricades and launched fireworks at the front lobby of the federal building.
“Protesters set fire to barricades and launch fireworks outside of the DHS/ICE joint field office in #Atlanta,” a Twitter posted with footage of the vandalism.
🇺🇸📢#GA: Protesters set fire to barricades and launch fireworks outside of the DHS/ICE joint field office in #Atlanta pic.twitter.com/u2sPybDiaw
— The WannabeWonk (@PotempkinBrain) July 26, 2020
Another video showed the barrage of fireworks launched at the lobby of the federal building. Members of the crowd can be heard chanting “burn it down” as the fireworks continued to pour into the building.
Another tweeted video showed many of the windows on the ground level of the immigration court smashed in. In the video, a rioter is seen throwing an object at one of the remaining unbroken windows.
“Cataloguing the damages to ICE and DHS left by the peaceful, festive riot leveraged by #Atlanta frontliners.#rayshardbrooks #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd #PortlandSolidarity.”
Cataloguing the damages to ICE and DHS left by the peaceful, festive riot leveraged by #Atlanta frontliners.#rayshardbrooks #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd #PortlandSolidarity pic.twitter.com/G0Gt7BB5dh
— Acid Vitalist League (@AcidVitalism) July 26, 2020
On Sunday morning, Fox 5 reporter Emilie Ikeda provided a view of the damage in daylight, highlighting more graffiti on the streets surrounding the federal property.
“DESTRUCTIVE PROTESTS: Vandals targeted a federal building (DHS/DOJ) last night,” Ikeda tweeted. “Twitter chatter labeled the damage as an effort to stand in ‘solidarity’ with the ‘Freedom Fighters’ of Portland, where protestors have repeatedly clashed w/agents guarding a federal courthouse.”
DESTRUCTIVE PROTESTS: Vandals targeted a federal building (DHS/DOJ) last night.
Twitter chatter labeled the damage as an effort to stand in “solidarity” with the “Freedom Fighters” of Portland, where protestors have repeatedly clashed w/agents guarding a federal courthouse. pic.twitter.com/7VNhhsli5Q
— Emilie Ikeda (@EmilieIkedaFOX5) July 26, 2020
No arrests were made in connection with the rioting at the federal building, though Ikeda reported the FBI was gathering evidence, including discarded protest signs, which they would include in their investigation of the incident.
