At approximately 2:15 AM, March 4th, an individual approached the door of Groundwork Books Collective and shattered the door’s glass pane to gain entry. This individual entered the space and knocked over books, attempted to knock over shelves, and damaged property. They attempted arson but there was no permanent damage to the interior structure; upon failure, they opted to light an outside shelf on fire and succeeded in destroying it and the books.
Nothing of value was stolen from the collective; this was clearly a political attack. This comes in the wake of a series of right-wing and white supremacist activities: banner drops by these organizations, attempted intimidation in critical gender studies and ethnic studies classes, constant flyering not only at UCSD but also at SDSU, and threats of violence made against Revolution Books at UC Berkeley. Driven and emboldened by the rising right-wing momentum, someone was motivated to commit a felony against a student-run community bookstore on the basis of its political character. Because this is an attack on a truly independent student-run organization, this concerns the entire student body regardless of political orientation. By this violence they are trying to strike at the heart of the university itself, as a space for direct, open, political polemic and criticism. They seek to undermine our confidence and demoralize us. But our resolve and commitment to our political motivations and the student body remains strong. They have not succeeded, and we will make sure they won’t succeed.
The student body must stand with Groundwork Books and will not allow threats, intimidation, and violence. While they attack us in secret and by night, afraid of the students themselves, we will confront them directly and openly at every opportunity and on every platform. Do not allow these cowards to go unnoticed. Tear down their flyers, shame their recruiters, remind them why they are outcasts, and force them to return to their dens in shame.
