A violent attack disrupted a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, organised by ‘Run for Their Lives’ group.
Advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the crowd gathered at Pearl Street Mall on Sunday for a planned weekly demonstration.
The assailant, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, yelled ‘Free Palestine’ and hurled incendiary devices, including Molotov cocktails, into the crowd.
Authorities said Soliman also wielded a makeshift flamethrower, injuring eight people aged between 52 and 88.
Witnesses described a scene of panic, with bystanders attempting to douse flames and tend to the wounded.
Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett told New York Times, “These were Jewish community members who were on a march for peace and for hostage return, and they were brutally attacked.”
Soliman was eventually identified by protestors and taken into custody. He is currently hospitalised with injuries sustained during the attack.
The FBI has labelled the incident a “targeted terror attack,” citing ideological motives.
FBI Director Christopher Wray and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser both indicated that the case may qualify as a hate crime. Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn further confirmed that Soliman is believed to have acted alone.
Soliman, originally from Egypt, had been living in Colorado Springs on a visa that expired in early 2023. Authorities are investigating his background and motives further.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident, stating that the victims were targeted “simply because they were Jews.”
Calling the attack anti-semitic, Netanyahu hoped that Soliman would be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”
