The Rafik B. Hariri Building at Georgetown University in Washington, DC was vandalized with pro-Hamas graffiti on Oct. 16, 2024. Photo: Screenshot

A building at Georgetown University in Washington, DC was vandalized with pro-terrorist graffiti in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to the school.

The pro-Hamas and anti-American graffiti was discovered on the Rafik B. Hariri Building. The messages were “pertaining to the war in Gaza,” according to a message sent to the campus community by the university’s associate vice president of public safety along with its chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“We condemn this act and are coordinating with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in the investigation of this crime,” the message continued. “This incident, and a similar act that occurred on campus on Sept. 20, 2024, are unacceptable and are contrary to our values as a university community. Anyone found responsible will be held accountable.”

The vandalism included graffiti that read “US Army = Terror org” and inverted red triangles. The inverted red triangle has become a common symbol at pro-Hamas rallies. The Palestinian terrorist group, which rules Gaza, has used inverted red triangles in its propaganda videos to indicate Israeli targets about to be attacked. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), “the red triangle is now used to represent Hamas itself and glorify its use of violence.”

The building that was vandalized is named after Rafik B. Harari, a former prime minister of Lebanon who was assassinated by a Hezbollah suicide bomber in Beirut in 2005.

An Instagram account called GeorgetownIntifada posted pictures of the vandalism with the caption, “NO WAR CRIMINALS ON CAMPUS,” and added, “THE US ARMY IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”

The group also claimed the vandalism was done by “autonomous actors.”

Jewish on Campus, a group that documents anti-Jewish incidents on college campuses, asked rhetorically on X/Twitter, “When our campuses look like this, how are Jewish and Israeli students meant to be safe?”

“Antisemitism is rising. Wake up,” it added.

ADL Regional Director Meredith Weisel wrote in a statement that it is “horrifying that students woke up this morning and were faced with pro-terror graffiti defacing Georgetown University’s Business School. The red triangle is a pro-terror symbol that in some cases signifies support for violent Palestinian resistance against Israel. This hate has no place anywhere and certainly not on a college campus.”

She continued, “Jewish students, and all students, deserve to feel safe in their place of learning.”

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war — when Hamas invaded Israel, killed 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages last Oct. 7 — college campuses have become a hotbed of anti-Israel and pro-Hamas protests. In the spring, “Gaza solidarity encampments” began to pop up on campuses across the country. The Algemeiner documented dozens of statements just within the first week of the movement that were explicitly pro-terrorist.

Some encampments had to be forcefully removed after protesters got violent, invaded school buildings, and/or resisted the police when asked to disperse.