GOP headquarters vandalized in political protest

By WALT WILLIAMS Chronicle Staff Writer

The headquarters of the Gallatin County Republicans was vandalized early Friday morning in a crime one Republican called an "act of terror."

An unknown vandal or vandals spray-painted peace signs on the windows and anti-Bush messages on the outside walls. A rock was thrown through a double-paned window next to the main entrance to the building, and the front door was coated with eggs and possibly cottage cheese.

The sign marking the headquarters also was destroyed. The interior appeared to be mostly untouched.

Bozeman Police had no suspects as of Friday.

Rep. John Sinrud, R-Bozeman, pointed out the irony of the peace signs given the obvious message.

People, he said, "have become so hateful."

Friday was the second time the GOP headquarters was vandalized in less than a week. Several holes had been kicked into the headquarters' sign sometime late Sunday or early Monday, but that damage had been repaired.

This time the vandalism was much more extensive. The GOP is using an office in a business park on North 19th Avenue for its headquarters. Gallatin County party co-chair David Penwell said insurance should cover the cost of damages, which he called "an act of terror."

"Our people are not intimidated, they're just very angry," he said. "If anything, they're more resolved than before to get the candidates elected. It had just the opposite effect if they were trying to intimidate us."

Local Republicans gathered at the Holiday Inn Thursday evening to celebrate President Bush's acceptance speech. The vandals must have struck after midnight because volunteers dropped campaign materials at the headquarters around that time, he said.

The damage wasn't spotted until Friday morning. News of it soon circulated among the party faithful, who slowly filed in to survey the damage and help in the cleanup. Some expressed anger towards Democrats, protesters and the left in general.

"This is new heights for the peace and love movement," Nancy McLees said.

Sen. Gary Perry, R-Manhattan, took a more conciliatory tone. He recalled that both the Democratic and Republican headquarters have been ransacked in previous election years, although nothing approached the damage this time around.

It's not the mainstream people from either party who are doing this, he said.

"It's an event of hate and evil that is permeating too much of our society when we're working for civility in the world," he said. "What we're about here is peaceful discourse."

Local Democrats condemned the crime. County party co-chair Tracy Velazquez called it vandalism and said it should be treated as such.

"We are all Americans and this is inexcusable behavior," she said.

The Democrats had their headquarters' sign torn down and stolen a few weeks ago, but it was eventually recovered. Otherwise that building has been left untouched.

County Democratic co-chair Brady Wiseman called on whoever committed the vandalism to stop immediately.

"People who think that violence is the answer should be spending their energy trying to convince voters of the need to vote in a particular way," he said.

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