An Illinois man has been charged with assaulting two police officers during protests in Washington, D.C., against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. Zachary Allen Kam, a 24-year-old from Chicago, was arrested on assault charges and was set to appear in court on Thursday.
The incident took place during a demonstration at Columbus Circle in front of Washington’s Union Station on July 24. U.S. Park Police officers were in the process of arresting an individual who had pulled down a flagpole when Kam allegedly attacked the officers. He first approached one officer, pulled him down, and dragged him several feet, causing scrapes and bruises. After briefly disappearing into the crowd, Kam returned and grabbed another officer, pulling them to the ground.
Authorities arrested Kam approximately four hours later near John Marshall Park. “Assaulting a federal officer during the course of a protest is not constitutionally protected speech, it is a federal crime,” stated Mathew Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
The protest had initially been granted a permit to demonstrate in front of Union Station. However, the U.S. Park Police revoked the permit when they couldn’t reach the protest organizers that afternoon. The National Park Service incurred more than $11,000 in costs for cleanup and repairs at the site following the protest.
In connection with the same demonstration, Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Virginia, was arrested for spray-painting graffiti on a monument, while Isabella Giordano, 20, from Towson, Maryland, was apprehended and charged with spray-painting “Gaza” on a fountain in front of Union Station.
These arrests come amid ongoing tensions surrounding protests and demonstrations, particularly those related to international affairs and politics. The incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by law enforcement officers in maintaining order during such events.