Asheville Extremists Plan Buncombe Jail Protest Supporting Convicted Texas Antifa Members

Activists tied to Asheville's Firestorm Books collective staged a direct-action protest Saturday outside the Buncombe County Detention Facility at 20 Davidson Drive, expressing solidarity with nine people convicted last month on federal terrorism-related charges for a Fourth of July attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Texas.

Asheville Police were notified of the planned demonstration in advance. The Buncombe County Detention Facility, operated by the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, sits in central Asheville; the protest drew attention from residents and officials given the site's history as a focal point for similar demonstrations.

The nine defendants, identified by federal prosecutors as members of the North Texas Antifa Cell, were convicted March 13 and 14 in Fort Worth following a 12-day trial that included 45 witnesses and more than 210 exhibits. The convictions stem from the July 4, 2025, attack on the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, where members of the cell ignited fireworks and explosives at the facility, damaged vehicles and a guard shack, and opened fire on officers who responded to a 911 call. Alvarado Police Department Lt. Thomas Gross was shot in the neck; he survived and has since returned to duty.

Defendant Benjamin Song was convicted of attempted murder for firing on officers and faces a minimum of 20 years up to life in federal prison. The remaining eight, including Daniel Estrada, Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, Maricela Rueda, Meagan Morris, Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, and Autumn Hill, were convicted primarily of providing material support to terrorists. Autumn Hill faces between 10 and 60 years in federal prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

The 20 Davidson Drive address has drawn organized demonstrations before. On December 31, 2022, a protest linked to the Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross blocked facility entrances in a similar action. Asheville City Police confirmed that protest occurred, even as Buncombe County Sheriff's Office spokespeople initially disputed it.

Firestorm Books, a self-described anarchist community space on the west side of Asheville, has been connected to protest organizing in the city over several years. The research notes accompanying this report cite a history of related violence associated with that network in Asheville. The store has not issued a public statement about Saturday's action.