Durham socialist charged with burning US flag at pro-Palestine DC protest
Michael Snow, Jr. faces one federal misdemeanor for destruction of federal property after being identified in attendance at left-wing protests in the Triangle
Michael Snow, Jr., of Durham, has been charged by the United States Department of Justice with setting fire to a federally-owned American flag in DC at a pro-Palestine protest in July, providing confirmation of our contemporaneous reporting that the culprit had previously attended left-wing events here in North Carolina.
Background
On July 24, Palestine supporters gathered at the Columbus Circle in DC to protest a speech being given to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including buses from Raleigh and Charlotte organized by the Carolinas chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
The "Arrest Netanyahu" event, organized by the far-left ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism,) called on attendees at various times to "Shut Down DC," "Join the People's Red Line," and "Surround the Capitol":
United States Park Police revoked the permit that had been issued for the demonstration at the Columbus Circle shortly after it began, as the organizers were failing to "ensure good order and self-discipline," according to Snow's charging documents. Over the next two hours, the demonstrators are described as having "pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest; and sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures."
The graffiti left on the Columbus Fountain and the Freedom Bell included messages such as "Hamas is comin [sic]," "all Zionists are b------s," "f--- Israel," and the stylized anarchist 'A'.
According to the DOJ press release, the total cost to repair and clean up the damage caused by the demonstration was estimated at $11,282.23 by the National Park Service.
Incident
Video shows the man identified as Snow (with a red "Arrest Netanyahu" shirt; a red and white keffiyeh; a distinctive red, white, and green necklace; and a cochlear implant behind his left ear) removing an American flag from a flagpole after it had been lowered by two other demonstrators, and throw it on the ground.
After unsuccessfully attempting to light the flag directly with a lighter, Snow was handed a bottle of lighter fluid which he doused the flag with, allowing him to successfully set it ablaze, according to the DOJ.
The surrounding crowd can be heard in the video chanting "Allahu Akbar" and "burn that s---" as another individual who helped start the fire dances around, waving a "Free Palestine" flag.
Identification
According to the charging documents, the DOJ was pointed in the direction of Snow by a post on the NOVA Campaigns Twitter/X account, which contained a picture of the same individual holding a Party for Socialism and Liberation banner at a UNC pro-Palestine protest on May 8.
The FBI was able to follow up on this information by finding Snow's North Carolina driver's license photograph, which "appeared consistent" with the individual in question.
Three months after the incident, in October, unspecified "law enforcement" performed physical surveillance on Snow at his residence in Durham and place of employment and confirmed the match in-person, including his relatively uncommon cochlear implant.
"Law enforcement" also found two witnesses who "personally know SNOW and interact with him regularly," who identified Snow as the individual pictured in an informational bulletin put out by the FBI on the July demonstration's criminals.
Charge
Snow is facing one Class A misdemeanor under 18 U.S.C. § 1361 (Willfully Injuring or Depredating Any Property of the United States in an Amount Less Than $1,000) in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, which carries a maximum punishment of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law - US DOJ