The Madison headquarters of Wisconsin Family Action, an anti-abortion group, was reportedly set on fire late Saturday night or early Sunday morning after vandals threw what is believed to be at least one Molotov cocktail at the building.
Two staffers returned to the building for work mid-Sunday morning when they found the windows on one side of the office were shattered while burned books were scattered across the office, according to a report from Wisconsin State Journal.
There was an apparent smell of smoke hours after the fire, which reportedly occurred in the building. The report noted that the building was also riddled with graffiti portraying anti-police slogans and the phrase: “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.”
BREAKING: Somebody vandalized and allegedly threw Molotov cocktails into Wisconsin Family Action’s — an anti-abortion rights group — Madison office, writing w/ graffiti, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”
Story TK pic.twitter.com/6Wfnyeh9hQ
— Alexander Shur (@AlexanderShur) May 8, 2022
The Madison Police Department incident report stated that “Flames were seen coming from the facility shortly after 6 a.m.” The police report also noted that no one was injured. The group’s president also confirmed that no one was injured, according to the publication.
Law enforcement said the building was hit with a Molotov cocktail, which landed inside the building but did not ignite. Law enforcement believes that a separate fire was started due to the Molotov cocktail not igniting.
The anti-abortion organization’s president, Julaine Appling, told Madison.com that she and the events coordinator, Diane Westphall, were getting ready for a Mother’s Day brunch in Watertown, Wisconsin when she heard about the incident from a staff member. Appling said that the police were called when a person on their way to the airport saw smoke rising from the building before dawn.
“What you’re going to see here is a direct threat against us,” Appling said about the attack. “Imagine if somebody had been in the office when this happened. They would have been hurt.”
The attack comes just days after a draft leaked of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the infamous pro-abortion Roe v. Wade decision. The leak has caused radical pro-abortion activists and elected Democrats to take to the streets, trying to make it the “central choice” for the Left to use on the campaign trail before the November midterms.
A group of radical pro-abortion activists recently gathered outside the homes of multiple U.S. Supreme Court Justice on Saturday to protest the Court’s expected decision to repeal Roe v. Wade. In one instance, radical pro-abortion activists marched in front of Chief Justice John Roberts’ home and reportedly chanted, “Keep abortion safe and legal.” Some other chants included, “Pro-life is a lie, you don’t care if people die.”
Breitbart News also reported that groups of pro-abortion radicals planned to terrorize Catholic churches during Mass services on Mother’s Day.
Whether you’re a “Catholic for Choice”, ex-Catholic, of other or no faith, recognize that six extremist Catholics set out to overturn Roe. Stand at or in a local Catholic Church Sun May 8. #WarOnWomen #MothersDayStrike pic.twitter.com/v2vtpd12Gp
— Ruth Sent Us (@RuthSentUs) May 3, 2022
Due to the events, Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes reportedly alerted its federal partners and started investigating the arson with Madison Fire Department.
“It appears a specific non-profit that supports anti-abortion measures was targeted,” Barnes said in the statement.
Stephanie Fryer, the local law enforcement spokesperson, confirmed to State Journal that arson investigators were the ones to respond to the early morning police call and “are actively working this case at this time.”
“This is the local manifestation of the anger and the lack of tolerance from the pro-abortion people toward those of us who are pro-life,” said Appling. She added that law enforcement found remnants of at least one Molotov cocktail.
The city’s mayor, Satya Rhodes-Conway, said that she “understands” why people are afraid and angry that the draft Supreme Court decision was leaked and that “Madison believes strongly in the right to free speech, but it must be exercised nonviolently by all sides in this increasingly contentious debate.”
Wisconsin’s Democrat Gov. Tony Evers, who is running for reelection, said on Twitter:
We condemn violence and hatred in all forms, including the actions at Wisconsin Family Action in Madison last night. We reject violence against any person for disagreeing with another’s view.
Violence is not the way forward. Hurting others is never the answer.
We will work against overturning Roe and attacks on reproductive rights by leading with empathy and compassion. We will defend what we believe in with our words and our voices—in the streets, in halls of government, and at the ballot box. In Wisconsin, we must lead by example.
We will work against overturning Roe and attacks on reproductive rights by leading with empathy and compassion. We will defend what we believe in with our words and our voices—in the streets, in halls of government, and at the ballot box. In Wisconsin, we must lead by example.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) May 8, 2022
Republican gubernatorial candidates condemned the attack in statements.
Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (R), running to unseat Evers, said, “The radicals are trying to stop us, but they know we won’t be intimidated from defending life.”
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
— Rebecca Kleefisch (@RebeccaforReal) May 8, 2022
Kevin Nicholson, also running as a Republican to unseat Evers, called the attack “disgusting.”
Disgusting behavior from the left. @JoeBiden has already refused to condemn it and both @GovEvers and @JoshKaulWI have shown they want to enforce mob rule and further degrade law & order in Wisconsin. This has to stop. @GovEvers cannot be silent. https://t.co/nsmORc8j7n
— Kevin Nicholson (@KevinMNicholson) May 8, 2022
Another Republican gubernatorial candidate, Tim Michels, called on the Democrat governor and Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) to “immediately issue unequivocal statements that this will not be tolerated, and offenders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The attack on Wisconsin Family Action has no place in our Democracy. Dane County leaders, @GovEvers, and @WisDOJ must immediately issue unequivocal statements that this will not be tolerated, and offenders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. https://t.co/UDYaSF9vTH
— Tim Michels (@michelsforgov) May 8, 2022
Madison.com noted that in 2012, radical anti-abortion activists threw a firebomb inside Planned Parenthood’s Appleton, Wisconsin location and were sentenced to 11 years in prison.
The police chief said that the department would provide an update on the situation on Monday at 2 p.m.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
