A Virginia man was sentenced to 10 days in prison for spray painting pro-Hamas graffiti on the Christopher Columbus monument in front of Washington’s Union Station during anti-Israel protests last summer.
Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, had pleaded guilty to destruction of government property, a misdemeanor, had pleaded guilty on Jan. 23. He was sentenced Friday to 10 days in federal prison, six months of supervision afterwards, 80 hours of community service and was ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said.
“Zaid Mahdawi defaced a national monument with hate-filled graffiti and now faces the consequences. Vandalism in the name of extremism won’t be tolerated. If you come to D.C. to destroy, you’ll pay. Literally. Make D.C. Safe AND Beautiful,” interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin wrote on X Friday.
Mr. Mahdawi and others gathered at Columbus Circle on July 24, 2024, to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was speaking at the Capitol that day. Mr. Mahdawi lowered a flag from one of the poles in the circle, which was then taken by another protester, and then climbed the monument and spray painted “HAMAS IS COMIN” in red spray paint as well as an inverted red triangle, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
The Hamas terrorist group killed 1,200 people in a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking Israel to start an ongoing war against the militant group.
The National Park Service estimated that the damage done to Columbus Circle by the protesters cost $11,282.23 to clean and repair.
Another person present at the protests, Isabella Giordano, 21, was not given jail time but was given six months probation for her spray painting of the monument as well as two flagpoles.
