Anonymous, self-styled gentrification opponents are taking credit for a summer vandalism spree targeting lower city redevelopment efforts — and urging others to join in.

A post last week on AnarchistNews.org and the local anarchist blog The Hamilton Institute claims responsibility for a string of vandalism and graffiti tags over the summer.

Those incidents include broken windows at new Barton Street restaurants The Heather and The Butcher and Vegan, glued locks at a Westdale real estate office, the Acclamation condos site on James Street and CoMotion's downtown office as well as damaged security cameras at the former Hendry's Shoes building.

The unattributed post says the attacks "remind the profiteers and boosters of gentrification that their presence in our neighbourhoods is unwelcome," pointing to unaffordable rent increases and displacement of poor residents in Hamilton's fast-redeveloping west end and core. "It's easy to attack when you give yourself the means," the poster concludes. "There's still a month of summer ahead and no shortage of deserving targets."

Hamilton police have been aware of the "gentrification issue" for a couple of months and have appointed an acting Sgt. to "liaise with the community," said spokesperson Const. Jerome Stewart.

That liaison officer, Sgt. Matt Fletcher, was away this week and police were unable to say if anyone has been arrested or if investigators believe the incidents are linked as claimed.

It's unclear who or how many people might be responsible for either the post or the alleged vandalism spree. Both websites labelled the post as an anonymous submission and neither responded to Spectator requests for comment.

An anarchist social space called The Tower, which also has a storefront drop-in site on Cannon Street, also tweeted a link to the claims. "Nice to see these things happening in the city," reads the accompanying tweet.

Messages left with the Tower collective were not returned this week.

But affected building owners are expressing frustration — and taking offence — arguing they are unfairly painted as greedy or uncaring about the community.

"The ironic thing is we're fixing up what was an empty building. No one was living here. We didn't displace anyone," said Tyler Pearson, the new co-owner of the well-known Hendry Shoes building. "We think we're creating a place for community."

Pearson argued the building was in danger of falling apart and used only as a drug den. He and his partner, Greg Clewer, are close to bringing in their first commercial tenant and are advertising two- and three-bedroom family apartments in the $1,400-plus-a-month range. Those new businesses and residents are needed in a Barton Village area suffering from too many vacant buildings, Pearson said.

He called the damaged security cameras and graffiti disappointing, but not uncommon in "transitioning" neighbourhoods. "It's certainly not scaring us or slowing us down."

CoMotion posted an extensive response on its website after its locks were glued in June and walls painted with messages like "Hamilton is Not Your Blank Canvass."

The co-working, space-sharing business network called the incident "misdirected vandalism that is rooted in a valid cause that has nothing to specifically do with (us)."

Mayor Fred Eisenberger said he wasn't aware of the online post taking credit for the vandalism spree. "No doubt there is a serious underlying issue here … but I don't think you should be trying to send that message through vandalism."

He acknowledged the city's struggle with a growing list of residents seeking affordable housing, spiking property values and tales from low-income tenants pressured to vacate redeveloping apartment towers.

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But the mayor pointed to council's recent promise to invest $50 million in social housing and commitments to retain a percentage of new housing on redeveloping Pier 8 and the Barton-Tiffany lands for more affordable rental units.

Eisenberger said he won't apologize for trying to attract new investment, residents and owners willing to "renew" crumbling buildings and half-empty commercial streets.

"I think that is all good stuff. I want it to continue," he said. "Are there social impacts? Unfortunately, yes. But we are working hard on solutions and we will continue to do so."