A 20-year-old woman from Maryland, Isabella Giordano, was arrested on Friday for allegedly vandalizing federal property in Washington, D.C. during protests surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in July. According to a U.S. Park Police affidavit, a video circulating on social media showed Giordano using red spray paint to write “Gaza” on a fountain in front of Union Station and defacing the base of two flagpoles in Columbus Circle.
The protests on July 24th drew thousands of demonstrators in Washington, with a specific group having a permit to protest in front of Union Station. However, the Park Police revoked the permit after failing to contact the protest organizers that day. Outside Union Station, some protesters replaced American flags with Palestinian ones, burned flags, and vandalized structures in Columbus Circle, prompting the National Park Service to spend over $11,000 on cleanup and repairs.
The Park Police received two tips from witnesses identifying Giordano as a suspect behind the graffiti. Giordano was set to appear in court on Friday and is facing a charge of willfully damaging federal property. It is currently unknown if she has legal representation at this time.
