Boston Muslim Arrested For Destruction of State Buildings, Veterans Memorial and Possession of Bombs

Boston engineer Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, 25, has been arrested for vandalizing state buildings with anti-Jewish graffiti and possession of homemade IEDs.

Sawaqed is a member of the extreme Palestinian group Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL). He also appeared in videos urging followers to target government buildings and corporate logistics networks.

Sawaqed is charged with vandalism and destruction of property, vandalizing a war or veterans memorial and possession, transportation or use of a hoax device or substance.

His mother was arrested for assaulting a police officer after spitting in the face of a detective serving a search warrant related to Yusuf Sawaqed’s case.

Boston – engineer Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, 25, has been arrested for vandalizing state buildings with anti Israel graffiti and possession of homemade IEDs.

Sawaqed is a member of the extreme Palestinian group Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL). He also… pic.twitter.com/1eBIdlFDJp

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) August 12, 2025

Sawaqed’s mother Naila Dahabra denied her son’s activities, blamed it on Israel, and was arrested after spitting on police officers.

More here: https://t.co/BeaWzmtM8i pic.twitter.com/yFzzRM28FO

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) August 12, 2025

UPDATE: An anti-Israel activist has been accused of vandalizing MIT buildings (see below), the MA State House, and a George Washington statue.

Police say he had homemade explosive devices.

His mother, who was arrested for spitting on a detective, blames the IDF. https://t.co/rAGjzGyV1d pic.twitter.com/OKlsrmzkBS

— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) August 12, 2025

Member of pro-Palestinian group arrested after Massachusetts State House gate, steps vandalized with paint

Investigators found footprints, improvised explosive devices, complaint says

ADVERTISEMENT

By: Sera Congi, WCVB, August 11, 2025:

A man associated with a pro-Palestinian group suspected in a series of vandalism acts targeting “prominent public institutions” faced charges Monday after the Massachusetts State House in Boston was vandalized with paint last month.

Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, 25, of Everett, was arrested Thursday and appeared in Boston Municipal Court.

On July 23, white paint was poured on the State House gate, and concrete columns were spray-painted. Video from the scene showed paint splattered on a concrete pillar and the State House steps. The suspect also appeared to attempt to write the words “Divest” or “Divert” on a concrete pillar.

The suspect, later identified as Sawaqed, fled into the Boston Common, which prompted a search with members of the FBI and the Massachusetts State Police.

A trooper observed “white paint footprints” believed to have been left by Sawaqed as he fled and two suspicious objects, which were believed to be homemade improvised explosive devices, according to a criminal complaint.
Sawaqed is associated with a group known as the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), which has taken credit for a number of acts of vandalism in Massachusetts, according to the complaint. The group is described as an extreme anti-Zionist organization.

Federal officials said they became aware of Sawaqed in May after he appeared in a video in urging followers to target government buildings and corporate logistics networks, officials said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Sawaqed has been identified as a central and active participant in a series of organized, politically motivated acts of vandalism, targeting prominent public institutions, including the Massachusetts State House, the George Washington Monument on the Public Garden and the MIT Stata Center,” the complaint read.

Video below: Previous coverage of State House vandalism

When he was taken into custody last week, officials searched a vehicle belonging to the suspect’s mother that Sawaqed used and found traces of white paint and a device consistent with those discovered on the Boston Common. Several DAMPL fliers and two empty gasoline cans were also found.

“Sawaqed’s actions have been deliberate, calculated and in furtherance of an ideology that advocates disruption through violence and criminal activity,” the complaint states. “He has shown a clear disregard for public safety and government property and has demonstrated the capability and willingness to escalate these acts through his association with DAMPL.”

Sawaqed was charged with vandalism and destruction of property, vandalizing a war or veterans memorial and possession, transportation or use of a hoax device or substance.

His bail was set at $30,000 and he is due back in court next week.

5 Investigates learned Sawaqed went to high school in Colorado before moving to Massachusetts to attend UMass Dartmouth. He graduated in 2022. On his LinkedIn profile, he described himself as a “dedicated bioengineer.”

Continued…..