A Virginia man has been charged with defacing a monument in Washington D.C. during protests surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Congress in July. Michael Kunzelman reported on the incident that led to the arrest of Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Va. Mahdawi was among thousands of protesters who gathered in the nation’s capital on July 24 to voice their opposition to Netanyahu’s visit.
According to an FBI affidavit, Mahdawi was seen climbing the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle and using red spray paint to write “HAMAS IS COMIN” on the monument. The affidavit stated that he also spray-painted an inverted red triangle above the slogan. A witness who knew Mahdawi identified him from a police bulletin, leading to his arrest.
Protesters had gathered outside Union Station that day, with some individuals removing American flags and replacing them with Palestinian flags. The demonstration turned destructive as some protesters burned flags and defaced structures in Columbus Circle. The U.S. Park Police revoked the protesters’ permit after failing to reach the organizers, estimating that it cost over $11,000 to clean up and repair the damages caused.
Speaking on the incident, Matthew Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, emphasised that politically motivated destruction of federal property is considered a crime and not protected speech. Mahdawi was set to make his initial court appearance in Virginia following his arrest. Additionally, a Maryland woman, Isabella Giordano, 20, from Towson, was previously arrested on a related charge for defacing another location during the protests.