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 was ordered to serve ten days in federal prison followed by six months under supervised release due to his conviction for 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 captured on camera spraying the message "HAMAS IS COMING" in red paint, accompanied by an upside-down triangle emblem.
Authorities stated that Mahdawi had previously removed an American flag during the protest, which was subsequently taken by someone else. The demonstrators engaged in burning items, causing damage to federal property, and obstructing arrests.
Mahdawi’s graffiti was filmed 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 banners removed from the flagpoles and the monuments and buildings in Columbus Circle are all owned by the federal government," the prosecutors stated.
Judge James E. Boasberg issued the ruling, mandating that Mahdawi must undertake 80 hours of community service and pay $1,500 as reimbursement for the approximately $11,282.23 incurred in cleanup expenses.
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