‘Stop Cop City’ agitators arrested in Tucson after allegedly vandalizing downtown banks

Arlene Villalobos, 33, Gabriel Parks, 18, and Hassan Hassan, 31, were each charged with arson, criminal damage, and rioting.

"Last night, our community faced unacceptable acts of violence and destruction in downtown Tucson," the Tucson Police Department wrote in a statement, explaining that the actions of the three suspects "resulted in significant damage and endangered both property and lives."

The TPD revealed that, among other things, the trio threw "incendiary devices into an occupied building."

"These actions do not reflect the values of our Tucson community," the statement continued. "We stand united to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our community."

The vandals targeted a PNC Bank branch as well as the neighboring Wells Fargo, both of which sustained damage and were forced to close.

According to Tucson.com, court filings revealed that the suspects "lit road flares and consumer grade mortars and threw them into the PNC Bank." Graffiti covered the exterior walls, and the glass was smashed. All told, the damage is predicted to exceed $100,000.

As News4 reports, a spokesperson for the Stop Cop City movement said the banks were targeted because "a Wells Fargo executive sits on the board of the Atlanta Police Foundation, the organization behind the Cop City project" and "PNC is a funder of the Mountain Valley Pipeline."

The summit was held in a vacant lot near downtown Tucson, with attendees pitching tents for the weekend. According to their website, protestors said that the city was chosen in part because "the southwest is home to many corporations supplying arms to the Israeli military," a group the movement also opposes.

"We cannot make guarantees regarding the safety of participation in any protest movement, including support roles and infrastructure," the group told those looking to participate. "We simply know that–amidst the rise of far-right governments across the world, rampant environmental degradation, and the increasing millitarization of police forces–the risk of inaction is too great."