A Northland College student was one of 16 people arrested during annual protests at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga., which includes a U.S. Army school blamed for human rights abuses.
Melissa Helman, 23, of Ashland, Wis., was arrested for trespassing on military property at the former School of the Americas, now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, according to protest organizers. The demonstrators had to climb around, over or under three chain-link fences to get arrested, including one topped with barbed wire, according to the Associated Press.
Between 14,000 and 22,000 people protested for the 17th year at the school, which trains Latin American soldiers and law enforcement personnel. Critics say some graduates have committed murder, torture and other human rights violations.
About 30 Northland College students were expected to take part in the protests, along with about 30 Duluth-area college students and residents.
Helman, a junior, faces six months in federal prison and a $5,000 fine. A number of area residents have gone to jail for trespassing at Fort Benning over the past nine years.
