Chicago man charged with assaulting police at anti-Netanyahu protests in Washington

Zachary Allen Kam, 24, is at least third person charged with crimes over July 24 protest as PM addressed US Congress; Kam said to have scraped, bruised officer

This image from police-worn body camera, and provided and annotated by the US Justice Department, in the affidavit to support the criminal complaint and arrest warrant for Zachary Allen Kam, shows Kam during his arrest July 24, 2024, during protests in Washington against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the US Congress. (US Department of Justice via AP)
This image from police-worn body camera, and provided and annotated by the US Justice Department, in the affidavit to support the criminal complaint and arrest warrant for Zachary Allen Kam, shows Kam during his arrest July 24, 2024, during protests in Washington against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the US Congress. (US Department of Justice via AP)

An Illinois man was arrested Thursday on charges that he attacked two police officers during protests in Washington, DC against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress in July.

Zachary Allen Kam, 24, of Chicago, was arrested in Illinois on assault charges and was expected to make his initial court appearance later Thursday.

Kam is at least the third person charged with crimes related to a July 24 demonstration at Columbus Circle, in front of Washington’s Union Station.

The protest featured antisemitic and pro-Hamas slogans and signs, the vandalism of property, the torching of an effigy of Netanyahu, and the burning of an American flag.

US Park Police officers were arresting somebody who pulled down a flagpole in Columbus Circle when Kam approached one of the officers, pulled him down and dragged him several feet, leaving the officer with scrapes and bruises, according to a police affidavit.

After disappearing into the crowd, Kam returned seconds later, grabbed another officer and pulled that officer to the ground, the affidavit says. Police initially arrested Kam approximately four hours later, near John Marshall Park.

“Assaulting a federal officer during the course of a protest is not constitutionally protected speech, it is a federal crime,” Mathew Graves, US Attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a statement.

Protesters had a permit to demonstrate in front of Union Station, but the US Park Police said it revoked the permit after it couldn’t reach protest organizers that afternoon. The National Park Service estimated it cost more than $11,000 to clean up and fix damage at the site.

Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Virginia, was arrested last Friday on a charge that he spray-painted “Hamas is coming” graffiti on a monument during the same protest near Union Station. Isabella Giordano, 20, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested last month and charged with spray-painting “Gaza” on a fountain in front of Union Station.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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