A man from Virginia, who spray-painted a federal monument in Washington, D.C., with a pro-Hamas slogan during an demonstration near Union Station, is set to spend some time in jail, as reported by federal authorities.
Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, aged 26 from Richmond, received his sentence on Friday, April 4. He has been ordered to serve ten days in federal prison followed by six months under supervised release due to his admission of guilt regarding the charge of destroying government property, as reported by the US Attorney’s Office for Washington D.C.
The event took place on July 24, 2024, at Columbus Circle during a protest rally.
Around 3:30 p.m., Mahdawi ascended the Columbus statue and was recorded on video spray-painting "HAMAS IS COMING" in red letters, accompanied by an upside-down triangle symbol.
Authorities stated that Mahdawi had removed an American flag during the protest at an earlier time, which was subsequently taken by someone else. The demonstrators engaged in burning items, caused damage to federal property, and obstructed law enforcement arrests.
Mahdawi’s graffiti was spotted by US Park Police surveillance cameras and extensively circulated on social media. The incident was also documented in publicly available videos and photographs that were subsequently uploaded to different online platforms.
"The flags removed from the flagpoles and the statues and buildings in Columbus Circle are all owned by the federal government," the prosecutors stated.
Judge James E. Boasberg issued the ruling, instructing Mahdawi to perform 80 hours of community service and to pay $1,500 as restitution for the approximately $11,282.23 in cleanup expenses.
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