A Molotov cocktail-flinging attacker targeted a peaceful Boulder march supporting Israeli hostages, revealing a chilling year-long plot fueled by anti-Zionist rage, as Colorado Public Radio reports.
On Sunday, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, attacked a Run for Their Lives gathering near Boulder’s courthouse, injuring 12 with firebombs and a makeshift flamethrower while shouting “Free Palestine.”
Soliman, an Egyptian migrant who entered the U.S. on an expired visa, meticulously planned the assault, even dressing as a gardener to blend in. His arsenal included 18 incendiary devices, with two lit Molotov cocktails made from wine carafes and gasoline. Social media videos captured his hateful cries, now echoing in court documents.
The attack left a Holocaust survivor and others, aged 52 to 88, among the wounded, with one victim clinging to life in critical condition. Soliman’s backpack sprayer, possibly filled with gasoline, amplified the terror, though he spared others from direct spraying. His Prius, parked nearby, held damning evidence: red rags, a gas container, and papers scrawled with “Israel” and “Palestine.”
“He wanted them all to die,” said acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell, exposing Soliman’s remorseless intent. Such brazen hatred, cloaked in political rhetoric, demands accountability, not excuses. Progressive leniency on unchecked migration and radical ideologies risks more tragedies like this.
Soliman admitted to learning bomb-making on YouTube, a chilling reminder of how easily extremists exploit open platforms. He faces federal hate crime charges, with state counts of attempted murder and assault piling on. His $10 million bond reflects the gravity of his calculated violence.
For a year, Soliman schemed, waiting until his daughter’s graduation to strike, intending to die in the act. “Mohamed mentioned several times he wanted to be dead,” a state affidavit revealed. His suicidal zeal, paired with anti-Zionist fervor, paints a portrait of a man consumed by ideology, not reason.
Investigators found an iPhone hidden in his home, containing a journal and messages to his family, who claimed ignorance of his plans. The FBI, probing this as terrorism, searched his Colorado Springs residence, where his cooperative family lived unaware. Soliman’s secrecy highlights the lone-wolf threat that lurks in plain sight.
His neighbor, Craig Martinez, lamented, “I feel terrible for everybody involved.” Sympathy for Soliman’s family doesn’t erase the victims’ suffering or the broader failure to vet migrants with expired visas. Soft borders and softer policies invite chaos, as Boulder’s scorched streets now prove.
Soliman appeared in court on June 2, bandaged and defiant, confirming a protection order that barred contact with the victim. His next hearing, set for June 5, will formalize charges that could see him locked away for life. Colorado’s lack of a terrorism statute is a glaring gap, but hate crime enhancements for targeting Jews and the elderly add weight to his punishment.
“Hate against any group needs to be treated as hate against all groups,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser, a noble sentiment that rings hollow when woke policies coddle division. Unity doesn’t come from platitudes but from enforcing laws that deter such attacks. Soliman’s victims deserve justice, not more rhetoric.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the attack, claiming it doesn’t represent Palestinian advocates. “Peaceful protests are the only way,” they said, dodging the inconvenient truth that Soliman’s radicalism found fertile ground in unchecked anti-Zionist narratives. Condemnations don’t undo the burns or the fear.
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn noted the marchers didn’t request police protection, a tragic oversight in an era of rising ideological violence. Run for Their Lives’ weekly walks, honoring Gaza’s hostages, now carry a grim reminder of hate’s reach. Communities must stay vigilant, not complacent, against such threats.
Soliman’s immigration status -- entering on a B2 visa, overstaying, and applying for asylum -- raises red flags about vetting failures. He legally worked while his asylum case dragged on, exploiting a system too slow to catch his radicalization. Border security isn’t just a slogan; it’s a safeguard against those plotting harm.
The attack’s interstate nature, with gasoline-filled carafes crossing state lines, justifies federal scrutiny. Soliman’s year-long preparation, from buying a sprayer to studying bombs, shows a deliberate intent no apology can erase. America must confront this hate head-on, or Boulder’s scars will be just the beginning.
