On Friday, January 15th, Galesburg Police responded to 1648 North Henderson Street which is the AFL-CIO Trades and Labor Hall in reference to a report of a burglary. The Union Hall is located in the same building as the Elks Lodge 894. According to police reports, upon arrival officers noticed the entrance to the building was defaced and damaged. Once officers stepped inside, it was discovered the inside of the building had been completely trashed and vandalized. The walls and floors were completely covered with either trash, spray paint, food, or a combination of all three and the office had been rummaged through. Spray paint damage referencing President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden was discovered throughout, as well as an anarchy symbol, what officers believed to be an attempt to spray paint a rebel flag, and numerous other lewd images. Sinks in the kitchen were also intentionally plugged and water was flooding the building. Officers met with the Galesburg Hall Representative who said it was possible that the door could’ve been left unlocked the night before. The property does not have security cameras in place so video of the incident does not exist. The investigation is ongoing.
