(See bottom of post for update on how to stand with Washington Community Action Network.)

USAction affiliate Washington Community Action Network was the target of hate-based vandalism this weekend.

KIRO TV covered the incident, with video at the link:

Members of the Washington Community Action Network who arrived at their offices Sunday morning to plan a May 1 march found the tires of a Honda Civic slashed and the words “Rahowa 88″ written on the car’s window.

The Anti-Defamation League said Rahowa means “racial holy war” and that 88 means “Heil Hitler.”

The vandals wrote the same message on a van in the parking lot, sprayed foam in the van’s tailpipe and broke the front window with a steel ball.

The perpetrators could have been targeting the community organization based upon their organizing around economic justice or immigrant rights, which Arizona forcefully placed on the national stage with their draconian, new immigration law.

Or perhaps WCAN’s national profile during the final months of the health care debate animated the vandals; WCAN was in the national spotlight when 11-year-old, WCAN member Marcelas Owens stood beside President Obama as he signed the historic health care bill into law.

Marcelas, had the following observations:

“I was kind of shocked that people would do things like this,” said Owens, who lobbied for health care reform after he said his mother died because she had no health insurance.

“I know we’re on the right track because they wouldn’t do things like this if we weren’t as powerful as we are,” he said.

The Seattle police department’s “bias crime” division are investigating and we may soon have answers, but one thing is for certain: intimidation will not stop WCAN or the rest of the USAction family from working to create a more just society.

Will Pitz, Executive Director of WCAN:

“We don’t know exactly what motivates these people. What we do know is it’s not going to stop us from doing what we’re doing”

UPDATE: (4/28/2010, 4:00 PM)

You can stand in solidarity with WCAN by signing here and joining others in sending a giant banner made up of the names of all USAction / TrueMajority members who stand together against this racist violence. WCAN staff and volunteers will carry the banner this Saturday as a sign of solidarity against hate.

Sign now to support WCAN’s march for immigrant rights and the fight to stop the racism before it spreads further. If you’ve got a Facebook account, after you sign on to show support click the “Like” button and we’ll proudly add your profile picture to the banner too.  And if you are on Twitter, Tweet your solidarity after signing.

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