On June 1, 2025, a peaceful demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, was violently disrupted when a man attacked participants with incendiary devices, resulting in 12 injuries.
The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails during the assault. Witnesses reported that he shouted “Free Palestine” as he launched the attack on the crowd gathered at Pearl Street Mall. The victims, aged between 52 and 88, included a Holocaust survivor and were treated for varying degrees of burns and other injuries.
Soliman, an Egyptian national residing illegally in the U.S., had reportedly planned the attack for over a year, waiting until after his daughter’s high school graduation to carry it out. He expressed anti-Zionist sentiments and claimed his actions were motivated by a desire to defend Palestine.
Authorities arrested Soliman at the scene and discovered 16 additional homemade incendiary devices in his possession. He faces multiple charges, including federal hate crimes and attempted murder. The FBI is treating the incident as a targeted act of terrorism.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation and has heightened concerns about the safety of public demonstrations amid rising global tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
