Mohamed Sabry Soliman carrying Molotov cocktails used against peaceful demonstrators several of who received varying levels of burns injuries (Sky News Australia)
A man has appeared in a specially arranged court charged with 16 counts of attempted murder and of committing a federal hate crime with the use of Molotov cocktails, in Boulder, Colorado.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old from El Paso County, Texas, attacked a peaceful solidarity walk which was calling for the release of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas.
Twelve people between the ages of 52 and 88 suffered varying degrees of injuries, and one person has been left in a critical condition with terrible burns.
The suspect was heard to yell “Free Palestine” during his frenzied assault and on his arrest he admitted that he had been planning the attack on the “Run for Their Lives” group for more than a year.
Shocking images from the scene showed several victims laying motionless on the ground beside Israeli flags as bystanders rushed to pour water over their awful wounds.
Colorado Judge Nancy Salomone scheduled another hearing for Thursday 5 May for the official filing of charges.
Peacful show of solidarity
The “Run For Their Lives” movement meet once a week in what they insist is not a protest, but a peaceful walk to show solidarity with the hostages in Gaza held since 7 October 2023, and their families, with a simple plea for their release.
In there words it is a “a humanitarian cause that should unite, not divide”. There are “chapters” doing precisely the same thing all over the United States.
Ranting attacker approached with a flame thrower
On this occasion, the group met at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, a popular outdoor space frequented by tourists and students in the city, which is around 30 miles (48km) from Denver.
Witnesses reported seeing the shirtless suspect first use a flame thrower, before lighting and throwing two Molotov cocktails into the crowd.
He was said to have been taunting the victims and yelling; “End Zionists… they are terrorists, free Palestine” and was also heard to shout: “How many children have you killed?”
Potential for far greater carnage
Officers discovered a black plastic container near where Soliman was arrested, containing “at least a further 14 unlit Molotov cocktails” with the projectiles comprising of “glass wine carafe bottles”.
Additionally, a backpack weed sprayer, potentially containing a flammable substance was also found.
It was later determined that the liquid in both the bottles and weed sprayer was the flammable xylene, highlighting that a very bad situation could actually have been even worse.
Will be locked away for life if convicted
The attacker has been charged with a hate crime, which carries a sentence of life in prison when the charge includes attempted murder, of which he has 16 counts against him.
He also has 16 counts of of attempted use of an incendiary device. If convicted for all of the charges, he would face a maximum of 384 years in state prison.
Was not legally in country
Soliman, who was born in Egypt and had spent 17 years in Kuwait before moving to the US with his wife and five children, had a work permit to stay in the country which had actually expired in March of this year, according to State documents.
He is understood to have told investigators he “wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead”, and callously said “he would do it again”.
Incredibly it seems that the suspect had been waiting for his own daughter to graduate before committing the shocking act.
Latest in growing number of attacks
Tourist Alex Osante from California was close to Pearl Street in an Italian restaurant when he said he heard a “big boom” and saw a woman “on fire from head to toe” with people screaming and tripping over each other in panic.
This latest attack follows quickly on from the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC by Elias Rodriguez a 30-year-old who was heard to repeatedly shout “Free Palestine” after his dreadful act.
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