Arts & Culture: Patty Hearst: Kidnapped Newspaper Heiress to “Tania” with the Symbionese Liberation Army.
During their revolutionary endeavors in 1970s California, the SLA employed guerrilla warfare tactics. Donald DeFreeze founded the SLA, which became known for its violent tactics and anti-establishment beliefs. “Symbionese” was the name created by the group by merging “symbiosis” and “Liberation,” underscoring their belief in communal living and armed resistance.
By assassinating school superintendent Marcus Foster, the SLA demonstrated their violence. This action, along with others, showed the group’s readiness to employ drastic methods to advance their agenda. The SLA gained national attention for their involvement in the Hibernia Bank robbery in San Francisco, where Patty Hearst, a key figure in the SLA story, was seen participating.