Anti-Israel protester charged for spray-painting 'Gaza' on statue outside DC's Union Station: prosecutors

A 20-year-old Maryland woman who was caught on video spray-painting "Gaza" on the Columbus Fountain outside of Washington, D.C.’s Union Station earlier this summer has been arrested Friday and is now facing a federal charge, prosecutors say. 

Isabella Giordano of Towson is set to make her first court appearance this afternoon on one count of willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. The incident allegedly happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the area. 

"Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Giordano using red spray paint to write ‘Gaza’ on the Columbus Fountain," the Attorney’s Office said, referring to an incident on July 24. "She also spray-painted the base of two of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle." 

Prosecutors say the U.S. Park Police later received tips identifying Giordano and that she was taken into custody this morning. 

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"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 approximately 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," the Attorney’s Office said. 

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

Giordano’s case is being investigated by the Park Police’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office, according to prosecutors.