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FIRST ON FOX: A Kansas county GOP headquarters office was vandalized earlier this week by a man who lit campaign materials on fire outside the building and later broke the glass door with a rock.
Two separate incidents took place outside the Cowley County GOP office in Winfield, Kansas, and one of those incidents was filmed and shared to Facebook by Scott Redford, the individual allegedly responsible for carrying out the acts of vandalism.
Kansas will become the first state to vote on abortion following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow each state to have the ability to decide whether the procedure is legal within its borders. On Aug. 2, voters will cast ballots on the Value Them Both amendment, which will decide whether abortion is protected under the Kansas constitution.
In the video shared to Facebook, Redford is allegedly shown burning “Value them both” campaign materials outside the front door of the building around 5:30 a.m., as loud music blared in the background. In addition, Redford placed a sign on the door to the headquarters that morning which stated, “War” and “#WhyItMatters 420.”
The entranceway to the Cowley County GOP headquarters in Winfield, Kansas, after a vandal threw a rock at the front door.
(Cowley County GOP)
He returned around 12:30 that afternoon and allegedly threw a rock at the door, shattering it, shortly before he was apprehended by police and booked at the local sheriff’s office.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Shannon Pahls, executive director for the Kansas Republican Party, said the incident that took place is representative of the “sad state” Americans are living through as it relates to division on the topic of abortion.
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“I think we’re seeing more and more of this type of vandalism and violence,” Pahls said. “We’re seeing it with all of our pro-life organizations across the country and it’s unfortunate, you know, that in Kansas, we haven’t really seen anything like this.”
A poster left by the vandal on the entranceway to the Cowley County GOP headquarters.
(Cowley County GOP)
“It just shows that it’s a sad state that the left thinks they’re able to use these acts of intimidation against pro-life organizations,” she added.
Pahls said she is not aware of any threats being made to the volunteers at the GOP office, but insisted that the situation is “definitely scary” after the word “War” was written on the flyer placed on the entrance to the building.
“These are county party volunteers,” she said. “These aren’t paid staff, not that it makes a difference, but it is definitely scary for people.”
The vandal threw a rock at the entrance the Cowley County GOP headquarters, as shown here.
(Cowley County GOP)
Pahls said the Kansas Republican Party is working to notify county parties, as well as pro-life organizations and those operating the Value Them Both referendum, of the acts of vandalism.
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“Hopefully it’s an isolated incident, but I think it’s telling. We’re seeing this happen throughout the country and, unfortunately, all too often, our Democratic leaders are pretty silent on the issue,” she said.
Over the course of the last few months, both before and after the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion, several pro-life organizations have been targeted by acts of vandalism. Last weekend, a pro-life center in Lynchburg, Virginia, was targeted with threatening graffiti and broken windows.
