Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
[UPDATE] Did ALF Burn Down Brooklyn Free Store?
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 30, 2011
Modified Mar 30, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 30, 2011
Modified Mar 30, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
[UPDATE BELOW]
For the past year, the Brooklyn Free Store, which was once described as a "living, breathing example of an anti-capitalist way of being," operated out of a vacant lot in Bed-Stuy, where everyone was welcome to choose from an eclectic array of free stuff displayed under a big tarp. Then it burned down on March 19th, in a fire that spread to a three-story house next door, which had to be demolished. The FDNY is investigating the blaze—the third arson attempt at the "store"—because it appears to have been set intentionally, and FBI sources now tell WNBC it may be the work of an anarchist with the Animal Liberation Front, or ALF. (HA!)
It's unclear why ALF would have targeted the Brooklyn Free Store, but the anarchists involved in the project told the Awl when they cleared the lot they removed some rotting dead animals (including a dead chicken and turtle). So maybe ALF believes discarding animal corpses is their job? On the other hand, ALF activists are more known for liberating animals from research laboratories, so perhaps this is just part of some internecine anarchist squabble that's not worth the headache to unravel.
We contacted the Brooklyn Free Store to see if they have any insight as to why ALF might be after them, but ALF is considered a violent domestic terrorist group by the US Justice Department (hardly surprising considering ALF's cryptically violent catchphrase, "I KILL me!"). A source associated with ALF says that if we don't stop making obvious '80s sit-com references, they're going to come burn our house down.
UPDATE: A representative of the Brooklyn Free Store tells us, "We do not know who started the fire but we are confident that it wasn't ALF, just as we are confident it wasn't Greenpeace or the Sierra Club. We support the aims of the ALF."
Tagged
alf
animal liberation front
brooklyn free store
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
A sixth person dies after falling ill in NYPD custody this year
The 54-year-old was hospitalized twice after his arrest Friday, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 4, 2026 at 4:44 p.m. ET
NJ reports first West Nile Virus death of the year
While the national West Nile Virus trend has slowed down, activity in the Garden State has picked up.
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
NJ reports first West Nile Virus death of the year
While the national West Nile Virus trend has slowed down, activity in the Garden State has picked up.
By
Michael Sol Warren
NY's prison system is in crisis. It's driving staff away from the job.
By
Emily Russell
NYPD searching for suspect after fatal stabbing in Queens
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
By
Jill Webb
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .