Two male appearing terrorists attacked the office of Washington State Representative Andrew Barkis (R) early Monday morning with one attacker loudly smashing a window and the other tossing a lit flare through the broken window. The attack was captured by a Ring security camera.
Video of the attack was posted online by Barkis’ fellow Republican lawmaker Rep. J.T. Wilcox, the House Minority Leader, “Early this morning a window was smashed and a lit flare was tossed into the office of my seatmate, Andrew Barkis. The building also houses the office of the House Republican election campaign. Fortunately the flare landed on a masonry floor and the building survived.”
Early this morning a window was smashed and a lit flare was tossed into the office of my seatmate, Andrew Barkis. The building also houses the office of the House Republican election campaign. Fortunately the flare landed on a masonry floor and the building survived. pic.twitter.com/pkdc7g0uiV
— Rep. JT Wilcox (@jtwilcox111) June 13, 2022
This attempted arson is the latest attack on the offices of conservatives or pro-life organizations in the past month since the leak of a draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue of abortion to the states. An assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home last week was thwarted by the presence of U.S. Marshals guarding his home.
The Guardian reported this weekend on the recent attacks on pro-life crisis pregnancy centers.(excerpt):
“Jane was here”: those were the words graffitied on the walls of a “pregnancy crisis center” in Amherst, New York, this week, as part of a targeted arson attack.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, the message was more explicit: “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either,” read the words scrawled in red paint across another center, which also had its windows broken.
The same message was found on the walls of “pregnancy crisis centers” in Texas and Wisconsin in May, and another attack took place on a similar institution in Washington, also in May. The attacks on these centers – which try to dissuade women from seeking abortions – are believed to be linked to Jane’s Revenge, an extremist, militant pro-choice group.
No one has been injured during these attacks, but the methods have been extreme: vandals have thrown molotov cocktails, committed arson, damaged property and made threats. At a time of rapidly increasing abortion restrictions in the US – and an upcoming supreme court decision this summer that is expected to result in total abortion bans in as many as 26 states – can more violence be expected?
Washington State Republican Party Chairman Caleb Heimlich called on state Democrats to condemn the attack, “I have consistently condemned political violence. Now I am waiting to see if @GovInslee @Tinapo @DrKimSchrier @PattyMurray and other Washington Democrats will condemn this heinous act of political terrorism committed this morning.”
I have consistently condemned political violence. Now I am waiting to see if @GovInslee @Tinapo @DrKimSchrier @PattyMurray and other Washington Democrats will condemn this heinous act of political terrorism committed this morning. https://t.co/dKF12FT7Tu
— Caleb Heimlich (@CalebHeimlich) June 13, 2022
