A group named the Citizens of Earth claimed responsibility for vandalizing the Republican Party of Wisconsin headquarters during the night of March 19.

Vandals threw assorted objects through the business’ façade, shattering many of the front windows. Republican Party staffers arrived at work Thursday morning to find the inside of the office covered in splattered paint, which had exploded out of projectiles like jars of green peppers.

Citizens of Earth claimed responsibility for the act in an e-mail sent to Madison’s media outlets.

“We hope that this action will disrupt the business of this organization and its contribution to war, as well as suggest an additional tool to Madison’s stagnant anti-war community,” the e-mail said. “We performed this action to show that people like you can easily affect the day-to-day business of the institutions that threaten our lives.”

Republican Party of Wisconsin communications director Chris Lato said the group was hypocritical for supposedly advocating peace with violent acts.

“The Republican Party is not exactly a nine-to-five business; we very frequently have people working late hours,” Lato said. “It would have been very easy for someone to have been hit.”

Republican Party communications assistant Katie Harbath had just returned from Washington, where she said she had more readily expected unruly war protests.

“Had I been sitting at my desk at the time, I would’ve gotten a mason jar full of pink paint in my left temple,” Harbath said. “People have every right to be very upset about the war, but there’s a line you cross when you become violent.”

Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Rick Graber said Thursday that the vandalism was an unreasonable demonstration of opposition to the war.

“This would be an appalling act of vandalism at any time,” Graber said. “If the vandal or vandals who carried out this petty and violent act thought they would deter us from our support for our troops, our President and our nation, then they have failed miserably.”

Lato said Wisconsin Republicans support President Bush’s actions against Iraq but appreciate and value the right of American citizens to peaceably voice opposition.

“We certainly understand the passions on all sides of the situation, but this is something that clearly went beyond civil disobedience,” Lato said.

Lato also said the office’s insurance company has assessed the damage to be around $15,000 for broken windows, ruined carpets and expensive office equipment.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin had not received any communications from the group Citizens of Earth before or since the vandalism, but the Madison police told staffers to be wary of any threatening e-mails, phone calls or letters in the future.

The Madison police department said it had no new information as to the identity of the vandals.