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, 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 destruction of 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 painting "HAMAS IS COMING" in red letters, alongside an upside-down triangular sign.
Authorities stated that Mahdawi also 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 recorded 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 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 issued the ruling, mandating that Mahdawi must 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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