Anti-abortion group’s headquarters is set on fire in Wisconsin, authorities say

The headquarters of an anti-abortion organization in Wisconsin was set on fire and vandalized overnight, officials said Sunday, May 8.

At the Madison office building — which is used by the non-profit political action group Wisconsin Family Action — investigators found evidence that at least one Molotov cocktail was used, WISC reported. Madison fire officials are investigating the incident as arson.

The apparent attack comes days after a Supreme Court draft opinion proposing to overturn Roe V. Wade was leaked to the public. If the 1973 decision were overturned, many say that abortions would be criminalized in much of the country.

“What you’re going to see here is a direct threat against us,” Julain Appling, head of Wisconsin Family Action, told the Wisconsin State Journal. “Imagine if somebody had been in the office when this happened. They would have been hurt.”

While authorities are still investigating the fire, the incident has quickly caught the attention of elected officials, including Wisconsin governor Tony Evers.

“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,” Evers said in a social media post. “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.”

This story was originally published May 8, 2022 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Anti-abortion group’s headquarters is set on fire in Wisconsin, authorities say."