Richmond resident Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, was handed a 10-day federal prison sentence for damage he inflicted on a monument at Columbus Circle, in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., during a demonstration last year. In addition to jail time, Mahdawi will be under supervision for six months, and he must complete 80 hours of community service along with paying $1,500 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As per court documents released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the protest occurred on July 24, 2024, when a group held a rally at the Columbus Circle. Protestors at the event were seen bringing down flags from the poles, setting fire to various objects, and spraying graffiti on several monuments. It was during this rally that Mahdawi lowered a U.S. flag from one of the flagpoles, which was then taken by someone else, before defacing the monument with spray paint.
Video evidence, pinpointing Mahdawi's actions, included footage from the U.S. Park Police observing the area and videos uploaded to X, a social media platform. What the footage showed was Mahdawi climbing the monument and spray-painting "HAMAS IS COMIN" in red, followed by an upside-down triangle. The National Park Service estimates the cleanup and repairs of Columbus Circle to cost upwards of $11,000.
The case was a collaborative investigation effort, spearheaded by the FBI's Washington Field Office and supported by the National Park Service, the FBI's Richmond Field Office, and the United States Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia. Mahdawi, who pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor of destruction of government property on January 23, received his sentence under the supervision of Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, the announcement by U.S. Attorney's Office stated.
