GOP New Mexico headquarters hit in suspected arson
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The damaged offices of the Republican Party of New Mexico in Albuquerque are seen from the inside following a suspected arson on Sunday. Photo: The Republican Party of New Mexico
The Republican Party of New Mexico's Albuquerque headquarters were struck in a suspected arson attack early Sunday that caused thousands of dollars of damage, authorities say.
The big picture: No one was hurt in the fire, which marked the third time since 2017 that vandals had targeted the New Mexico GOP offices.
Zoom in: Firefighters arrived at the headquarters just before 6am Sunday and put the fire out within a few minutes, authorities say.
- Albuquerque Fire Rescue said the front entryway sustained fire and smoke damage throughout the building.
- The words "ICE = KKK" were sprayed on the building, images from the scene show.
- Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesperson Jason Fejer told the Albuquerque Journal that the fire is an "active arson investigation."
- AFR fire investigators were deployed to the scene, along with teams from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Albuquerque Fire Rescue said on Facebook.
- There were no immediate reports of any arrests.
What they're saying: "This horrific attack, fueled by hatred and intolerance, is a direct assault on our values, freedoms, and our right to political expression," the Republican Party of New Mexico said in a statement.
- "It is part of a disturbing pattern of politically motivated violence that has plagued our country—fueled in part by the silence and implicit encouragement from progressive leaders who refuse to condemn these acts."
The Democratic Party of New Mexico condemns "any vandalism at the Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters as strongly as possible," party spokesperson Daniel Garcia said in a statement.
- "We firmly maintain that this sort of act has absolutely no place in our democracy, and that peaceful discourse and organization are the only ways to approach political differences in our country."
Flashback: Two protesters vandalized the N.M. GOP headquarters in 2017 with spray paint after demonstrating outside by a busy street.
- A former congressional intern for Gov. Michelle Lujan (D) Grisham when she was a U.S. congresswoman was arrested in 2020 in connection with vandalism of the headquarters, with footage from the scene showing a suspect spray-painting "still traitors" on the building.
- Those charges were later dropped after investigators said the suspect had provided an alibi who was credible.
Go deeper: Ex-New Mexico state GOP candidate arrested in shootings at Democrats' homes
