A man from Virginia, who spray-painted a federal monument in Washington, D.C., with a pro-Hamas slogan during a demonstration near Union Station, is set to spend some time in jail, as reported by federal authorities.
Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, aged 26 from Richmond, was sentenced on Friday, April 4, to ten days in federal prison along with six months of supervised release following his admission of guilt regarding the charge of destroying government property, as stated by the US Attorney’s Office for DC.
The event took place on July 24, 2024, at Columbus Circle during a protest rally.
At around 3:30 p.m., Mahdawi ascended the Columbus statue and was recorded on video painting "HAMAS IS COMING" in red letters, accompanied by an upside-down triangle emblem.
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 arrest operations.
Mahdawi’s graffiti was caught on camera by the US Park Police and circulated extensively on social media. The incident was also documented in publicly available videos and images 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, requiring Mahdawi to perform 80 hours of community service and pay $1,500 as restitution for the approximately $11,282.23 in cleanup expenses.
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