Councillor’s home targeted again, this time with rock thrown through her window

A St. Catharines city councillor whose home was vandalized Sunday for the second time in just more than a month - this time with a rock thrown through her front window - calls the outpouring of support in response heartening."

Early Sunday, someone threw a rock the size of a fist through Karrie Porter's window. That followed an incident Dec. 22, in which profanities were spray-painted on the side of her home.

We're just carrying on, because what else can you do?" Porter said in an interview Sunday, when asked how it has affected her and her family.

I've never had vandalism like this at my house. It just never happened before, until the last couple of months."

Police responded quickly, she said, but no arrests have been made in either incident.

Niagara Regional Police spokespersons could not be reached for comment.

Sunday's incident was the latest in a series whereby homes and private property of Niagara public officials have been targeted by protesters or vandals.

The same December night Porter's house was spray-painted, protesters outside the residence of acting medical officer of health Dr. Mustafa Hirji hollered through a megaphone, shouted vulgar chants and flashed strobe lights at his windows.

His home was targeted again by protesters Jan. 8, as was that of Niagara Health president Lynn Guerriero.

And over two nights in September, just before the federal election, vandals spray-painted messages on the home of St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik and a car belonging to St. Catharines Liberal MP Chris Bittle.

On Sunday, Porter posted photos to Twitter at 4:45 a.m. showing the rock and the damaged window. Later, she added video showing a man running quickly away from her house.

Online response was immediate. Numerous messages of support for Porter - and outrage at the crime - were posted by other elected officials and members of the public.

In a statement on behalf of St. Catharines city council, Sendzik called it a deliberate act of vandalism aimed to intimidate Coun. Porter. There is no room for this kind of behaviour."

He called Porter a courageous elected official" who stands up to call out injustices, racism and bigotry."

"She stands up for her constituents and those that are often left on the outside of our community ... And for this - she becomes a target."

On Twitter, St. Catharines regional Coun. Mat Siscoe called the vandal a coward" and said the apologists who will wander out now to pretend it was justified - you're not freedom fighters,' you're gutless."

Porter, who joined council in 2018 representing St. Patrick's Ward, said she had no warning her house might be targeted again.

I believe in healthy debate and I love Twitter, and I actually think debating is important," she said.

So when I have these discussions, and even when things get heated, I just don't think that somebody is going to do this."

After offering thanks online for people's support, she wrote I will be offline for a while today. Thanks for your understanding."

St. Catharines regional Coun. Laura Ip - herself a frequent target for online vitriol - started a GoFundMe account to pay for Porter's window.

In less than two hours donations topped its $2,000 goal, and she closed it when it reached $2,205. If anything's left over, she said, Porter can donate it to charity.

If you disagree with Karrie, fine. You can have a discussion with Karrie. You don't need to spray-paint her house, you don't need to throw a rock through her window," she said, adding it was fortunate no one was injured.

These guys who engage in this behaviour, they don't care about the impact is has on (people's) children, the neighbours, any of that."

She said after Porter's house was vandalized with graffiti in December, there were a bunch of - I'm just going to say apologists - who said well, she should have (security) cameras.

She shouldn't have to. We all have cameras now ... but it's not something we should have to do."

It's the same reason she set up the GoFundMe - Why should she have to make a claim against her home insurance and pay for probably increased premiums because some coward threw a rock through her window?"

Porter called the support she received helpful and heartening," especially the messages from people who don't always share her political views.

About the incidents of vandalism and targeting people's homes and private property, she said I think the community has to say enough is enough."

She called it a result of the way things have gone in politics in North America over the last five years."

But we've got to turn it around, and I believe we can."

Gord Howard is a St. Catharines-based reporter with the Standard. Reach him via email: gord.howard@niagaradailies.com

St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik's statement

On behalf of council, staff and our community, I want to state that acts of violence against anyone - including elected officials - will never be tolerated in our community.

Last night, while Coun. Karrie Porter and her family slept, a person threw a rock at their front window. This was a deliberate act of vandalism aimed to intimidate Coun. Porter. There is no room for this kind of behaviour.

Unfortunately, acts of vandalism to elected officials' homes is not new. Coun. Porter's home was spray painted last fall. St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle had his car spray=painted, and my own home and vehicles were vandalized last fall.

As mayor, I am left disheartened to see that people in our community feel that resorting to acts of violence and vandalism are acceptable ways to express themselves. This is not who we are today and it will never become who we are as a city.

Coun. Porter is a courageous elected official in St. Catharines. She stands up to call out injustices, racism and bigotry. She stands up for her constituents and those that are often left on the outside of our community. She is a bright light for what we aspire to be as a community.

And for this - she becomes a target.

These last two years have been an extreme challenge for our community. Social media has become a toxic place for people to polarize and divide. We all need to step back and refocus on being better at bringing people together.

I believe we have an amazing city, but clearly we have work to do to make it better. The way to start is being more respectful to each other. To acknowledge that violence and acts of vandalism will never be tolerated. We need to remember that we are all neighbours - and we should treat each other as such.

Council stands in solidarity with Coun. Porter and her family today as she deals with the impacts of an act of violence at her private residence.

We must do better, we must be better.