Tides Center - Byron Williams

Byron Williams

In 2010, the Tides Foundation was the intended target of a lone wolf terrorist. On Sunday, July 18, 2010, Byron Williams, 45, of Tuolumne County, was arrested following a shootout with California Highway Patrol officers on Interstate-580 in Oakland. The shootout began shortly after midnight Sunday morning when CHP officers saw his white Toyota truck speeding and weaving through traffic on westbound Interstate Highway 580 near the Grand Avenue exit. Oakland police spokesperson Jeff Thomason confirmed at Williams’ July 20 arraignment that evidence indicated Williams planned to target the San Francisco offices of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and Tides Foundation, for violence. Investigators reported Williams told them he wanted to "start a revolution by traveling to San Francisco and killing people of importance at the Tides Foundation and the ACLU."

Williams chose the Tides Foundation as a target because he believed that American billionaire philanthropist George Soros "has the Tides Foundation and the Tides fund," which he uses "for all kinds of nefarious activities."

Tides CEO Drummond Pike stated:

This incident serves to remind us that it should be the obligation of every American, especially those whose voices are amplified by the media, to foster civil discourse and dialogue among those who may disagree about public matters. One does not win an argument by inciting unbalanced people to violence. As Americans, we know we are best at solving problems when we reach broadly across boundaries for the best of ideas. Intolerance that closes our eyes defeats our aspirations.

With two strikes on his record for two previous bank-robbery convictions, Williams faces at least 25 years to life in prison as a three strikes felon.