The Outrage, a feminist/activist apparel company with ties to the Women’s March, has just experienced its third burglary in the last three months on 14th Street NW. Burglars smashed in the store’s front window and stole thousands of dollars in clothes and jewelry, says Michelle Howell, the store’s director of community and branding.

“They broke the front window, and so even though we have adequate security cameras and we’re catching people on camera and the police are getting fingerprints,” the store was still vulnerable to a third break-in, says Howell. “So for us, we’re are really sort of needing our community to look out more than ever and let us know if they know anything or they’re seeing anything.”

The first break-in happened on November 26, just two days before Thanksgiving last year, per Howell. That time, a suspect entered the store and stole $600 from the cash register, according to a police report of the incident. The suspect left through a rear door. Cameras captured the incident and police were able to obtain fingerprints, per the report.

The second burglary happened on January 2 just after midnight. An unknown number of people entered the store and stole a camera, also leaving boxes of merchandise in disarray, the police report says. Police released footage of a person of interest in this case. 

While the police reports in the first two incidents say the suspects entered in an “unknown manner,” Howell says the store’s roofing company later confirmed that there was damage to the skylights that allowed entry into the space.

The latest burglary was the biggest hit to the clothing shop (the smashed windows were first noted on Popville). This time, the store’s large front window was smashed in, and mannequins toppled over onto the sidewalk. Burglars stole more than $3,300 worth of sweatshirts, socks, jewelry, and other miscellaneous accessories, per the police report.

The Outrage launched in October 2016, just ahead of what seemed to its founder, Rebecca Lee Funk, like a guaranteed win for then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. After Donald Trump won, the company—which was then selling online only—saw sales suddenly spike. Disappointed Clinton supporters were lining up for the merchandise, which included T-shirts emblazoned with phrases like “Nasty Woman” or “Resist.” The demand got so big that Funk decided to open up a physical space near her home in Adams Morgan. The flagship store relocated to 14th Street NW in 2018, complete with a members-only community space.

“In this really divisive time, it’s hard not to take any attack on The Outrage personally,” Howell says. “Why target the Outrage? If it’s a sense of money, there are many other places [on 14th Street] you could break into.”

Howell says that in addition to stealing merchandise, the burglars have damaged the inside of the store, kicking and damaging drywall. But regardless of the reason for the break-ins, Howell says the store isn’t intimidated.

“We know that we fall on one side of the polarized political spectrum, and we can’t say for sure whether this had anything to do with that, but The Outrage isn’t going anywhere,” she says. “If that is the reason we are being targeted then that just really highlights the need for this work. We are going to keep showing up, turning the lights on, and creating that space for our community.”

Howell says that regular customers and members who use The Outrage’s community space have been extremely supportive of the shop. After establishing outposts in D.C. and Philadelphia, the company is opening up several new locations this year in battleground states, including Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

This story has been updated with additional information about the manner of the first two break-ins from Michelle Howell.