TURNERS FALLS — Downtown Turners Falls is rallying together to clean up after at least 20 municipal and privately-owned businesses and buildings were vandalized with spray paint along Avenue A and some side streets early Friday morning.
According to Montague Police Chief Jason Haskins, police have identified a primary person of interest as of Friday evening, though investigators haven’t ruled out the potential of there being more people involved. The culprit, or culprits, would face vandalism charges.
Haskins noted that the crime appears to be a targeted incident and there is little belief that there is risk of it happening again.
Additionally, Haskins said the content of the vandalism suggests it pertains to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine. Some of the vandalism alludes to children in the Gaza Strip being killed amid continued Israeli military strikes.
Haskins added that other areas of the vandalism alluded to the Last Ditch in Greenfield, which made national news following a Boston Globe article on the lesbian bar’s change in mask policy on Saturday nights and the ensuing response.
“We Don’t Need to Kill Children,” “We Are Not Free,” “No More Brunch,” and one larger statement of “No More Brunch, eggs are for people who don’t kill children in Gaza” on Third Street, were among the phrases seen around the village. Windows, sides of buildings and sidewalks were defaced, and statues by sculptor Tim de Christopher had been tagged with red spray paint outside both The Upper Bend Cafe + Bruncheonette and Dreamhouse restaurant.
As part of its investigation, the town has access to security cameras that are being reviewed to piece together a timeline of the incident. The Montague Police Department is working with the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section, and those with evidence, including video evidence, are asked to contact Detective Josh Lemay or Detective Christopher Smerz at 413-863-8911.
Neighbors helping neighbors
By 10 a.m. on Friday morning, business owners and downtown residents lined Avenue A to help clean up the damage, once it had been documented by police. Paper towels, Windex, paint scrapers and other tools were put to use where the paint could be cleaned.
Dreamhouse owner Jill Fishman explained that her staff arrived at the restaurant at around 7 a.m. to see their storefront vandalized with red spray paint. Messages had also been written on their windows with a paint marker. The door displayed “No More Brunch This Country Kills…” in a white, foamy paint, and the wooden deck and railings had been spray painted with the words “No More Brunch.”
“We just came down and put out some coffee and egg sandwiches for everyone, because we weren’t sure we were going to be able to open,” Fishman explained about their initial response to the situation.
For Fishman, some of the statements on the windows of the restaurant were “very anti-capitalist,” which is something she says the business generally aligns with, being a proudly “gay and abolitionist” space since opening in June 2024. Since then, she said the business has prepared for backlash, expecting to maybe experience some kind of retaliation.
“So honestly, I feel relief,” Fishman said. “Nothing was broken, my staff is not harmed or targeted, and nothing was stolen.”
Despite the spray paint and messages on the storefront, the restaurant was still able to open, and a number patrons were eating there just before 11 a.m.
“These are the moments in which our community really shows its colors,” Fishman said about the community response. “We are, as we always do, rising to the occasion.”
At 112 Avenue A is The Upper Bend Cafe + Bruncheonette, owned by Billy McKerchie, who said the business had spray paint on its windows and steps reading “No More Brunch.” He said the cafe opted to close Friday, but coffee and tea was being served for free while staff members and others helped clean up what they could.
McKerchie said he was still processing it all, but that generally, he felt the incident was “misdirected anger” when a lot of businesses are just trying to keep their doors open.
John McNamara, a co-owner of LOOT Found + Made at 62 Avenue A, was helping clean the spray paint off Waterway Arts, a space he rents to business owner Kiah Tinkham. While she was away, McNamara came by to help clean up the storefront, reflecting on feeling “disappointed and hurt” for those in downtown Turners Falls.
“Everyone downtown is very supportive and working hard at making a fun, safe downtown,” McNamara said, “and when something like this happens, it’s shocking and disappointing.”
Despite the nature of the situation, people were out to help how they could, including Selectboard Vice Chair Marina Goldman and Town Administrator Walter Ramsey, who both helped with some of the cleanup at Town Hall and the Carnegie Public Library.
“It’s really great how people in town are all coming together,” Goldman said.
Echoing McKerchie, Ramsey noted what seems to be misdirected anger, reflecting on the political “angst” at the national and local levels, and how there should be a focus on productive ways to get political messaging out.
Both Goldman and Ramsey spoke to how the town is trying to help community members who may be feeling disenfranchised, whether that is through some of the food pantries in Montague, or furthering housing initiatives like what is being planned at the former Farren Care Center lot or the Franklin Hampshire Habitat for Humanity project on First Street.
While the cleanup was continuing, de Christopher made his way downtown to help by working on removing the spray paint from his artwork outside Dreamhouse.
Though de Christopher said he finds the situation “pathetic,” there was still time for some levity with friends.
“We were laughing, and we said, ‘At least we can still laugh!'” de Christopher said, adding a flat, “Ha ha.”
