SEATTLE — The Freedom Socialist Party is facing a $2,000 repair bill after a vandal threw bricks through two of their windows last Friday. The windows displayed support for Palestine.
It is unclear if it was one person acting alone or a group.
"When we came in Friday morning, this whole window was shattered," Doug Barnes, the party's national secretary, said. "I was really shocked to see that, but in some ways, not surprised. People had been writing graffiti on the display whenever we had something about Palestine over the last six months."
Freedom Socialist Party shares offices with the Radical Women Seattle branch. Anne Bauer is a member of both.
"Acts like throwing bricks through the window, anonymously, with people you disagree with is very cowardly," Bauer said.
She believes the same hate that led someone to throw a brick through their office windows is cut from the same cloth that leads people to attack minority groups.
"Verbal and physical attacks on LGBTQ+ people, trans people especially, Jewish people, synagogues as well as on Mosques and supporters of Palestine," she said.
Barnes and Bauer both said this attack on their office has only strengthened their resolve and beliefs.
"What people need to do is decide which side they're on. Are they going to stand up for human rights, civil rights and occupied people like Palestine or look the other way?" Bauer said.
"Somebody's trying to intimidate us, but we aren't going to be intimidated. We're going to keep on doing the work," Barnes said.
They did not file a police report. Barnes said he did not think the police would be able to find whoever was responsible for the damage.