On October 4, 2024, authorities apprehended a Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, a 26-year-old resident of Richmond, Virginia, for allegedly defacing a monument in Washington, D.C. The incident occurred during protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress on July 24, 2024.
Mahdawi faces a federal charge of destruction of government property. According to an FBI affidavit, he was captured on video climbing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and using red spray paint to inscribe "HAMAS IS COMIN" along with an inverted red triangle.
The protests, which drew thousands, saw demonstrators replacing American flags with Palestinian ones and engaging in acts of vandalism. The U.S. Park Police, one of the nation's oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agencies, revoked the demonstration permit after failing to reach organizers.
The National Park Service, established in 1916, estimated cleanup costs exceeding $11,000. Matthew Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, stated:
"Politically motivated destruction or defacing of federal property is not protected speech, it is a crime."
This case highlights the fine line between protected speech and criminal acts. While the First Amendment safeguards freedom of expression, it does not extend to property destruction. The annual cost of graffiti removal in the U.S. surpasses $12 billion.
In a related case, authorities arrested Isabella Giordano, 20, from Towson, Maryland, in September 2024 for spray-painting "Gaza" on a Union Station fountain and defacing flagpole bases in Columbus Circle.
The Christopher Columbus statue, dedicated in 1912, stands as a historical landmark in the nation's capital. Washington, D.C., which became the U.S. capital in 1790, has witnessed numerous protests throughout its history. Union Station, opened in 1907, serves as a major transportation hub and has often been a focal point for demonstrations.
The FBI, founded in 1908, identified Mahdawi through a tip from an acquaintance who recognized him in a police bulletin. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the complex relationship between protest, free speech, and property rights in the United States.