Hate Graffiti Targets Group That Backed Healthcare Reform

Seattle police are investigating hate graffiti found at the Georgetown offices of a Seattle community group whose most prominent member, 11-year-old Marcelas Owens, stood as a symbol for health care reform.

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.

"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 vandals struck sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Leaders of Washington CAN! said the incident strengthens their resolve.

"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," said Will Pittz, the group's executive director.

Seattle Police detectives took photographs and fingerprints that they hope will lead them to the vandals.

A police spokesman said department's bias crimes unit will review the case.