Protestor Sentenced in Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station Following a Protest Rally

            WASHINGTON – Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Virginia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in connection with spray-painting the monument at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024, following a protest rally.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).

            Mahdawi received 10 days in federal prison, followed by six months of supervision. Chief Judge James E. Boasberg also ordered Mahdawi to serve 80 hours of community service and to pay $1,500 in restitution. Mahdawi pleaded guilty January 23, 2025, to destruction of government property, a misdemeanor.

            According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.

            Between approximately 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Mahdawi lowered a United States flag from one of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. The flag was subsequently stolen by another individual. Between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., Mahdawi climbed the monument located in the center of Columbus Circle. His actions were captured on video footage filmed by USPP from an observation post looking down at Columbus Circle. The same event was captured in open-source video and photos later posted to various internet platforms. After climbing to a ledge, Mahdawi began to spray paint the monument.

            Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Mahdawi using red spray paint to write “HAMAS IS COMIN” on the Columbus statue. After completing the phrase, Mahdawi spray-painted an inverted red triangle above the slogan.

            The flags that were pulled down from the flag poles, and the statues and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.

            This case was investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office with invaluable assistance from the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, the FBI Richmond Field Office, and the United States Attorney's Office - Eastern District of Virginia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.

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