Federal authorities in Minnesota are investigating a suspected arson fire that heavily damaged the offices of three conservative organizations in what the groups say was a targeted political attack.
The fire happened early Sunday in the Minneapolis suburb of Golden Valley at the offices of the Center for the American Experiment, the Upper Midwest Law Center and TakeCharge. Authorities haven’t announced any arrests or a potential motive. All three offices share the same building with several other businesses.
"The fires obviously were set by someone," John Hinderaker, president of Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think tank, said in a statement. "They targeted conservative organizations, they didn’t firebomb the chiropractors or psychologists or the Manufacturers Alliance. We are cooperating with the FBI to try to identify the perpetrators."
The FBI did not respond to request for comment. The Golden Valley Fire Department referred questions to the ATF and the St. Paul field division of the ATF confirmed the fire was being investigated as an act of arson.
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According to the American Experiment, "The fires occurred around 2:00 am on Sunday morning and were started outside the first-floor offices of American Experiment and TakeCharge, and in the third-floor offices of UMLC. The second floor has no visible fire damage. The three-story building houses a variety of small businesses in addition to the three conservative policy organizations."
"It is extremely concerning that we may have been the target of an arson attack, constituting an act of domestic terrorism," Kendall Qualls, president of TakeCharge, said before offering a theory as to why they had been allegedly attacked.
"We were targeted because we are a conservative black organization disputing the narrative of systemic racism. If we were a left leaning organization trumpeting the systemic racism mantra, throngs of media outlets would be at our door affirming that we are victims of racism."
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"They can firebomb our offices, but we will never stop promoting the bold truth: The problem of racial disparities is not because of systemic racism. It’s because we have let the crisis of fatherless homes explode to 80+ percent in nearly every major city, including Minneapolis. We are the ONLY national organization promoting the return of the two-parent family and school choice in the [B]lack community. This heinous act emboldens us to be stronger and louder," he said.
The Upper Midwest Law Center Senior Counsel James Dickey released a similar statement.
"We will not be intimidated by this apparent act of domestic terrorism. Our resolve to uphold justice and protect the rights of Minnesotans remains unyielding. Despite the setback, the Upper Midwest Law Center will continue to champion the values of fairness, equality, and freedom for all," Dickey said. "We are thankful to local fire rescue for their swift action to put out the fire, and to the FBI, ATF, and local authorities for their quick response and dedication to finding the perpetrators. We hope those responsible are brought to justice for this heinous act of violence."
