Councilors’ homes vandalized after budget debate

Plastered with poor report cards

Vandals this weekend targeted the homes of eight city councilors who last week voted in favor of the city budget that was narrowly approved following calls to “defund the police.”

Councilors’ homes were plastered with mock report cards scoring them on their action over things like climate, equity, immigration, public safety and public transportation. The grades for the eight councilors targeted ranged from “C” to “F,” according to a city official.

Council President Kim

Janey and Mayor Martin Walsh both condemned the vandalism.

“Over the weekend a number of my colleagues on the City Council were targeted at their homes. As President, let me be clear: Vandalism is unacceptable!!!,” Janey said on Twitter.

A newly formed progressive advocacy group called FTP Boston recently posted images of similar report cards pasted on sidewalks, doors and windows throughout the city.

The council approved the mayor’s operating budget by an unusually tight 8-5 vote last week after councilors debated how to enact structural change in the city’s police department amid the ongoing protests that have taken place over the past month over police killings of black people.

Councilors Frank Baker, Kenzie Bok, Liz Breadon, Lydia Edwards, Annissa Essaibi-George, Michael Flaherty, Ed Flynn and Matt O’Malley voted to pass the budget, and Janey and councilors Ricardo Arroyo, Andrea Campbell, Julia Mejia and Michelle Wu voted against it.

Walsh’s revised proposal cut $12 million from the $60 million police overtime budget, investing the money in social programs after calls to “defund the police.”

At a press conference on Monday, Walsh called the wreckage “unacceptable.”

“Trying to get a message across by targeting people’s homes and their personal space is wrong,” he said.