Witnesses say protesters wearing bandannas over their faces broke a window and wrote graffiti at the I-69 office in Bloomington just after noon Wednesday.

Bloomington police were called to the office at One City Centre at 12:12 p.m. According to the police report, witnesses said about a dozen men and women arrived at the building carrying a “Stop I-69” sign, marched into the building and used chalk to mark up the sidewalk, steps and the inner and outer walls. A chunk of concrete was thrown, reportedly by a protester, breaking out a glass pane in the entry door. The protesters then scattered and were gone by the time police arrived.

Mayor Mark Kruzan, who opposes I-69 himself, released a statement that he was more opposed to violent protesters. Kruzan said Wednesday’s protesters used “misdirected energy.”

“Violent action is a disservice to our community’s reputation and, in fact, does nothing but hurt the protesters’ own cause,” Kruzan’s statement read. “Anything other than peaceful protest of the highway project is simply not acceptable.”

The proposed extension of I-69 has caused widespread debate in southern Indiana as the state moves forward with plans to extend the interstate from Indianapolis to Evansville.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has two I-69 project offices in Bloomington.

The office in One City Centre at 120 W. Seventh St. focuses on the proposed highway’s Section 5, which would follow current Ind. 37 from Victor Pike on Bloomington southwest side north to the Ind. 39 interchange on the south side of Martinsville.

The Section 4 office at 3802 Industrial Blvd. handles Section 4, which would run southwest from Ind. 37 at Victor Pike across new terrain to U.S. 231 in southern Greene County.

- Window broken out of office door during protest against extension of I-69 through area

By Marcela Creps 331-4375 | mcreps@heraldt.com
June 11, 2008