A Virginia man who spray-painted “Hamas is coming” on a federal monument outside Union Station during a riot tied to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit has been sentenced to 10 days in prison and six months of supervision, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced.

Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, pleaded guilty to destroying government property, a federal misdemeanor, after admitting he defaced a statue, tore down an American flag, and scrawled an inverted red triangle—a symbol used by Hamas to mark targets—on July 24, 2024. His actions were part of a violent demonstration outside the historic transportation hub, held during Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress.

The National Park Service estimated that Mahdawi caused $11,282.23 in damage. In addition to jail time and supervision, Chief Judge James Boasberg ordered Mahdawi to complete 80 hours of community service and pay $1,500 in restitution.

Though the protest was permitted, it quickly turned violent. Court documents describe how demonstrators ripped down three American flags, set fire to objects in the street, and vandalized multiple federal monuments. Several interfered with police efforts to restore order.

Mahdawi personally removed one of the flags, then spray-painted his pro-Hamas message onto a federal statue just steps from Union Station’s main entrance—drawing swift condemnation from lawmakers and watchdog groups.

The inverted red triangle he painted is commonly used by Hamas to tag individuals and sites as potential targets. The use of such imagery in a federal vandalism case has raised further concerns about growing radicalization and the intersection of online extremism with street protests.

Officials have not indicated whether further charges will be brought against other participants in the July 24 riot.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)