An anti-Zionist group has claimed responsibility for vandalism at the Massachusetts State House, which occurred overnight on Wednesday, drawing significant law enforcement attention, including a response from the FBI.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) New England expressed serious concerns regarding the activities of this extreme group following the incident, which involved the use of paint and feces.
In a social media post, the ADL emphasized that this group’s actions must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, although specific details about the group were not initially provided.
Witnesses reported that the front gate of the State House was splattered with white paint, and graffiti that seemed to say “divest” was also found at the scene.
This incident is part of a broader movement among activists calling for lawmakers to divest state pension funds from businesses involved in arms sales to Israel, a subject of a recent bill discussed at the State House.
According to a spokesperson from the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Boston, the group responsible for the vandalism is the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL).
The spokesperson noted that DAMPL had previously posted about the vandalism on Instagram, although the post was removed within hours.
Another incident attributed to DAMPL occurred at the statue of George Washington in the Public Garden, where similar vandalism took place involving the use of white paint and spray-painted messages.
The JCRC described the State House vandalism as “deeply alarming” and expressed gratitude towards Massachusetts leaders for their quick condemnation of the act and to ADL New England for monitoring the group’s activities.
Earlier in the month, the ADL indicated that a relatively new extreme anti-Zionist group had claimed responsibility for various acts of vandalism, including graffiti at MIT, which was also linked to DAMPL according to MIT President Sally Kornbluth.
Massachusetts State Police reported that they were alerted to the vandalism at approximately 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and confirmed initial findings that a suspect had poured white paint on the gate and spray-painted messages before fleeing into Boston Common.
Crime Scene Services responded to process the scene, with Troop H Detectives poised to continue the investigation.
In a joint statement, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, House Speaker Ron Mariano, and Senate President Karen Spilka condemned the vandalism, stating there is “absolutely no excuse for vandalism, at the State House or anywhere.”
The officials expressed appreciation for the rapid response of the State Police and other law enforcement agencies and their commitment to holding the perpetrators accountable.
As this situation develops, the ADL Center on Extremism is actively tracking the group, continuing to engage with law enforcement for further actions against this threatening behavior.
image source from：masslive
