A man from Virginia, who spray-painted a federal monument in Washington, D.C., with a pro-Hamas slogan during an event 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 a federal prison followed by six months under supervised release. He pleaded guilty to the charge of destroying government property, as stated 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 around 3:30 p.m., Mahdawi ascended the Columbus statue and was recorded on video spray-painting "HAMAS IS COMING" in red letters, alongside an upside-down triangular sign.
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, vandalizing government property, and obstructing arrests.
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 photographs 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," according to what the prosecutors stated.
Judge James E. Boasberg issued the ruling, requiring 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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