From our content partner Channel 3000.
MADISON, Wis. — A Madison business has been the target of several messages of hate after displaying signs in support of Black lives in their coffee shop’s window.
Victory Madison owner Patrick Downey said when he came into work on Saturday he found that someone had taped a ‘Free Sire’ poster to his window but crossed out the word ‘free’ and replaced it with ‘lynch’.
The original poster refers to area activist Marquon Clark who was arrested earlier this month in connection to an arson attack on the City-County Building.
Downey said he’s only talking about the incident because it’s important for people to know that racism exists even in the Madison community.
“It’s painful just from the point of view of it makes me sick knowing that there are people that feel that way but from the point of view of them messing with me I could care less,” he said.
Saturday’s incident wasn’t the first time Downey’s shop was targeted. Downey also shared that someone spray-painted the F-word and the letters B-L-M referring to Black Lives Matter on his shop windows about two weeks ago.
Three weeks ago he also received a handwritten note that read “Congratulations! Your sign ‘Black Live are Sacred’ wins top prize in Madison’s first annual virtue-signaling contest.” It continued, “The competition was stiff, given the huge number of insufferable, self-righteous, pissy liberals in Madison. Keep up the good work a*******! Trump 2020.”
Downey has since cleaned off the spray-painted F-word but kept the letters B-L-M in his window outlining them in neon pink.
He said though he suspects his large window signs in support of Black lives are the reason his shop continues to be targeted he won’t be bullied into taking them down.
“The awareness has to keep happening day after day week after week even if it’s just a little corner shop with a sign in the window,” he said. “No matter what kind of nasty stuff happens it’s really just about Black Lives Matter–that’s it.”
