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, will be spending 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, during a protest gathering at Columbus Circle.
At around 3:30 p.m., Mahdawi ascended the Columbus statue and was recorded on video spray-painting the phrase "HAMAS IS COMING" in red, alongside an upside-down triangular sign.
Authorities stated that Mahdawi had previously removed an American flag during the protest, which was subsequently taken by another individual. The demonstrators engaged in burning items, vandalizing government property, and obstructing law enforcement arrests.
Mahdawi’s graffiti was spotted by US Park Police cameras and extensively circulated on social media. The incident was also documented in publicly available videos and images that were subsequently uploaded to different online platforms.
"The flags removed from the flagpoles and the statues and structures at 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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