Virginia man charged with defacing monument during Netanyahu protests in DC
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Virginia man has been arrested on a charge that he spray-painted graffiti on a monument in the nation’s capital during protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress in July. Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi was arrested Friday on a charge of destroying federal property. He was among thousands of protesters who gathered in Washington, D.C., on July 24 to condemn Netanyahu’s visit. The FBI says Mahdawi was captured on video climbing the statue of Christopher Columbus in the middle of Columbus Circle and using red spray paint to write “HAMAS IS COMIN” on the monument.
