Justin didn't see the windows being knocked out, but he sure did hear them. Justin—I didn't get his last name—is a woodworker who works next door to Capitol Hill art gallery and bar Vermillion on 11th Ave, less than a block away from The Stranger's offices. The windows were broken just a few minutes ago. Bystanders said they spotted a young man walking around Capitol Hill with a bag of rocks, and that they then watched him allegedly toss rocks at Vermillion's windows. Witnesses report watching the police pick the man up less than a block away. The front of Vermillion is a mess right now; the doorway is a white foam of spiderweb fractures, the sidewalk is covered in blue chunks of glass, and the main windows in the front have huge pieces knocked out of them. The inside of the gallery is littered with glass.

Justin said he called Diana Adams, the owner of Vermillion, to let her know about the damage. He says Adams believed it was an April Fool's joke at first. As I write this, Justin's standing outside of the gallery, protecting the space, alerting pedestrians to the broken glass on the sidewalk, and waiting for Adams to arrive.

Whoever tossed the rocks at Vermillion couldn't have intentionally picked a more undeserving target. Vermillion is a wonderful space that provides cheap booze and food for artists of all kinds. The space is home to frequent literary, visual art, and theatrical events, as well as being a place where artists regularly congregate to talk about their work. Whoever did this is an asshole who basically threw rocks at the entirety of Seattle's artistic community. We'll keep you posted on the situation as it develops.

More photos after the jump.