Prosecutors on Tuesday announced charges against 15 people who allegedly conspired to impede or injure federal officers during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota this year through two Minneapolis-based Antifa groups.

A grand jury indicted them on a charge of conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer. “The conspiracy was not to interfere by their voice, but to do it by force.

Outside the federal courthouse in Minneapolis, the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and a group of about 50 community members condemned the arrests and charges.

Those charged were members and associates of Twin Cities Direct Action (“TCDA”), which later changed its name to Direct Action Minnesota (“DAMN”), an organization dedicated and committed to direct action against federal law and immigration enforcement, according to a 94-page indictment filed in U.S. District Court of Minnesota.

Earlier Tuesday, Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement agencies arrested 12 of the 15 defendants, who Rosen said are from the Twin Cities area. One was already in custody on other federal charges. Two defendants remained at large.

The 15 indicted on a charge of conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer are Isaac Auman Sant, Emmett James Doyle, Camerone Kennedy, Callum Robinet, Erik Davis, Brian Stillwell Apland, Kyle Wagner, Hannah Margaret Van De Water Davis, Treasure Cay Thoreson, Nathan Junho Kim, Alec Stewart, Douglas Misterek, Dustin Scott Beisell, William Morgan and Natasha Rakotz.

Wagner is also charged with solicitation to commit a crime of violence and interstate threats. Sant and Morgan are charged with interstate stalking. Morgan and Rakota are charged with assault on a federal officer, and Morgan is also charged with destruction of government property.

As people made their first court appearances in the case at the federal courthouse in downtown St. Paul, dozens of protesters gathered outside.

Shortly after, officers emerged from the building wearing riot gear and attempted to disperse the crowd, deploying chemical irritant as protesters remained gathered outside.

Camerone Kennedy said he was arrested around 6 a.m. Tuesday. He was released around 5 p.m.