- Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, 25, of Everett, Mass., was arrested on August 7, 2025, and charged with vandalism, destruction of property, vandalizing a war or veterans memorial, and possession of a hoax device after defacing the Massachusetts State House with white paint and spray-painting “Divest” or “Divert” on July 23, 2025.
- Sawaqed is linked to the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), an extreme anti-Zionist group, which claimed responsibility for multiple vandalism acts targeting public institutions, including the State House, the George Washington Monument, and MIT’s Stata Center.
- Authorities found white paint footprints leading to Boston Common, where two homemade improvised explosive devices were discovered, along with traces of paint, DAMPL fliers, and gasoline cans in a vehicle Sawaqed used, indicating deliberate and ideologically motivated actions.
- Sawaqed’s bail was set at $30,000. Read More
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