Wisconsin Pro-Life Group’s HQ Vandalized With Molotov Cocktail, Spray Paint: ‘If Abortions Aren’t Safe Then You Aren’t Either’

Sarah RumpfMay 8th, 2022, 7:43 pm
 
graffiti spray painted on the Wisconsin Family Action building

Screenshot via Twitter.

The Madison, Wisconsin headquarters of a pro-life group was the target of vandalism and arson, reported the Wisconsin State Journal, including spray-painted graffiti that read “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.”

Wisconsin Family Action’s mission is “to advance Judeo-Christian principles and values in Wisconsin by strengthening, preserving, and promoting marriage, family, life and liberty,” according to their website, including specifically supporting “the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception through natural death.”

The incident happened late Saturday night or early Sunday morning and investigators have classified the fire as an arson, according to the Journal.

Julaine Appling, the group’s president, told reporters that someone on their way to the nearby Madison airport for an early flight had seen smoke rising from the building and called police.

The building was unoccupied at the time. Damages included shattered glass from a broken office window and fire damage on the wall beneath the window and the carpet in that area. Police told Journal reporter Alexander Shur that remnants of a Molotov cocktail that thrown inside the office but failed to ignite were found inside the office, and a separate fire was started by some other method.

The unknown vandal or vandals also spray painted graffiti on the outside of the building, including “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and an anarchy symbol and anti-police slogan.

In a statement, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes announced the police were working with the Madison Fire Department and federal authorities to investigate the arson.

Barnes also commented on the apparent political motivation. “The Madison Police Department understands members of our community are feeling deep emotions due to the recent news involving the United States Supreme Court,” he said in the statement, referring to the recent leak of a draft majority opinion upholding a Mississippi law prohibiting most abortions after 15 weeks and overturning the landmark case of Roe v. Wade.

“Our department has and continues to support people being able to speak freely and openly about their beliefs,” Barnes added. “But we feel that any acts of violence, including the destruction of property, do not aid in any cause.”

Appling told the Journal that the arson was “a direct threat” against her organization. “Imagine if somebody had been in the office when this happened,” she said. “They would have been hurt.”

The Madison Police Department will provide an update on the investigation on Monday at 2 pm CT.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.