Antifa praises 'martyr' who tried to firebomb ICE facility — and urges others to take 'direct action'

The Seattle faction of Antifa has released a eulogy for their "comrade" who was killed by police on Saturday after he attempted to firebomb an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Tacoma, Washington.

Seattle Antifascist Action both praised the attacker — Willem Van Spronsen — as a "martyr" and urged others to follow in his footsteps with "direct action."

The group wrote on Facebook:

When our good friend and comrade Willem Van Spronsen took a stand against the fascist detention center in Tacoma, he became a martyr who gave his life to the struggle against fascism. He was kind and deeply loved by many communities; we cannot let his death go unanswered.

Throughout history we idolize figures like John Brown for their courage to take the ultimate stand against oppression, and today we stand strong in our support for yet another martyr in the struggle against fascism. May his death serve as a call to protest and direct action.

As TheBlaze reported Saturday, Van Spronsen went to the ICE facility about 4 a.m. in Tacoma armed with a rifle and several improvised explosives, such as molotov cocktails, angered by a "factually inaccurate portrayal" of the facility.

Van Spronsen reportedly threw his incendiary devices at the building, as well as at several vehicles in a parking lot, setting them ablaze. He also reportedly attempted to ignited a propane tank.

Police responded with lethal force. However, it was not clear who fired the first shots.

Despite Van Spronsen's longtime associations with Antifa, the mainstream media failed to associate him with the far-left group, instead opting to characterize him as an "anti-fascist.

None were injured in Van Spronsen's attack. A vigil for Van Spronsen was held outside the detention center Sunday night.

Read Antifa's full post below: