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, received his sentence on Friday, April 4, receiving 10 days in federal prison along with six months under supervised release following his admission of guilt related to the charge of destroying government property. This information was disclosed 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.
At approximately 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 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 arrests.
Mahdawi’s graffiti was spotted by US Park Police cameras and extensively circulated on social media. The incident was also documented in openly available videos and images that were subsequently uploaded to different online platforms.
"The flags removed from the flagpoles and the statues and structures in Columbus Circle are all owned by the federal government," the prosecutors stated.
Judge James E. Boasberg imposed the sentence, requiring Mahdawi to undertake 80 hours of community service and pay $1,500 as restitution for the approximately $11,282.23 in cleanup expenses.
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