I posted this over at Olympia Indy media:

In Olympia we have been struggling with a tiny minority committing acts of property destruction at gatherings and marches. Olympia has been struggling with politically motivated vandalism which began in the months following last November's CD resisting military shipments polarized the community.

In February a dance to raise funds for a low income rights group ended in a riot, tear gas, seven arrests and a destroyed cop car. A May Day march for immigration rights ended with windows in the US Bank building and an outdoor equipment retailer owned by a city council member smashed. A month later a small community theater owned by another city council member was vandalized by a group calling themselves the Nihilist Assault Group. A Critical Mass bike ride ended with tires slashed on a cop car, a small business' delivery van tagged and an arrest. A week or so later 22 vehicles owned by downtown residents and a small business had their tires slashed by persons unknown. The Halloween Mayhem Party is the latest in this series of property destruction.

These actions are discrediting the good work hundreds of activists while trying the sympathy and tolerance of the larger community. Worse, the property damage has sparked talk of agent provocatures among the activist community. Olympia has a well earned reputation for progressive politics but that work is becoming threatened by these tactically stupid actions. Smashing US Bank and Starbucks windows ain't doing anyone in Olympia any good.

Nihilism rearing its head being stood with in solidarity over at South Sound indymedia:

On the evening of October 6th, we disabled four Olympian delivery vans by slashing their tires. The Olympian newspaper is responsible for many crimes. We will not be able to list all of them here, but we will try.

They have four reasons why it was done. And, comment over there. [Comments activated: seems there's more to discuss -- Rick]

Hays Ave NW, Olympia WA

Huh:

To the businessmen who rot behind desks at the Wells Fargo Financial office in Olympia,

Last night we attacked your storefront and spray painted a letter of hatred on your wall as an assault on your participation in the prison-industrial complex. The company you work for is a major stockholder in the GEO Group, owners of private concentration camps around the globe, including a rather infamous one in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The GEO Group also owns the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Northwest Detention Center, located in Tacoma, WA, an institution which imprisons hundreds of human beings each year for indefinite periods of time, rips families apart, and ruins lives. This cannot continue.

I'm relatively new to town and have seen a good deal of graffiti and heard and read alot about the different approaches locals take on that issue.

So, my question is, what is the right response in that situation:

• Should I take offense, be angry that someone smeared stuff on my window, that I now need to clean-up?

• Is it art and I should feel honored that someone choose my store window for their self-expression?

What I did learn is that being angry and upset is usally seen as a lack of character and open-mindedness, since the place I pour my heart and money into supposally doesn't belong to me but to the people with markers and spray-cans.

So, enlighten me, invite me into your worldview. Perhaps I can learn something or even better, perhaps I could get to know the person responsible for it, so I could buy him a cup of coffee.

mathias

einmaleins

Commentary:

Citizens of Olympia woke up this morning to find that our state captiol building has been vandalized. Some one or some group of vandals spray painted anti-war slogans and the symbol for anarchists on some pillars.

With a typically callous disregard for our state, and the people who live here, they chose to vandalize public property to try to get a message across. The message comes after the milestone of four thousand U.S. casualties in the War On Terror began. A slightly longer news story can be found here.