Police say a 16-year-old anti-Israel protester, accused of vandalizing a World War I memorial in New York City, has been caught.
The alleged vandalism happened Monday, and, after the suspect was arrested, officials charged him with criminal mischief in the third degree as well as making graffiti, the New York Post reported Thursday.
The incident happened in response to the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Thursday it had enough weapons to destroy Hamas in Rafah “despite a threat by U.S. President Joe Biden to withhold arms if Israel goes ahead with its Rafah operation,” Breitbart News reported.
According to the Post, the monument that was defaced was identified as the 107th Infantry Memorial. It was dedicated in 1927 and memorializes soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War I, per the Central Park Conservancy website:
The soldiers of the Seventh Regiment’s 107th Infantry helped to break Germany’s Hindenburg Line of defense at the conclusion of World War I. The sculptor, Karl Illava, was a sergeant with the infantry. His realistic representation of soldiers in battle contrasts with the formal and stoic solider depicted in the Civil War monument across the Park.
The Post article cited sources who noted the suspect has been seen at rallies led by the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime.
An image shows the young man with a pair of handcuffs on his wrist:
The news comes as anti-Israel protests have erupted on college campuses across America, and the number of protesters arrested is on the rise, Breitbart News reported on May 3.
Law enforcement officers have reportedly arrested more than 2,000 individuals, but, “even as the arrests are being made, students are pleading for special treatment and demanding no records are kept of their lawful detention,” the outlet said.
Video footage shows tents belonging to protesters being tossed into a garbage truck at George Washington University in Washington, DC:
The teenage suspect, who does not have a criminal history, is reportedly a student at Tottenville High School, according to the Post.
“NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry posted a blurred photo to X of the young vandal in handcuffs sitting on a bench in a police station. Sources had previously believed he was turned in by his dad Thursday night but cops have since refuted that,” the outlet stated.
Vandals are accused of writing “Gaza” and “Free Palestine” on the memorial, as well as putting anti-Israel stickers on the statue, but crews have since cleaned up the monument. Demonstrators were also accused of burning an American flag at the site and climbing on top of the monument while waving Palestinian flags.
One neighbor, identified as Ron Zucher, told the Post, “It’s horrible to treat a World War I memorial the way they did. It breaks your heart.”