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The Fourth Estate

BY VIVIANA SMITH, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND MADALYN GODFREY, COPY EDITOR

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 6:58 a.m., Mason Police Department reported a case of property damage at the Johnson Center. According to the daily crime and fire log, Mason filed a complaint reporting, “intentional vandalism to State property.” The time of the incident is unknown and the status is still pending as of Sept. 25. 

An anonymous submission was posted on the Instagram page gmuintifada displaying photos and videos of the incident. Gmuintifada wrote in the caption, “autonomous actors at George Mason university do NOT welcome the genocide profiteering defense companies attending the GMU career fair.” 

Fourth Estate has not confirmed the account’s affiliation with the incident besides posting the content. 

Mason’s annual fall career fair was scheduled to be held at the Johnson Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This two-day event hosts various companies on Mason’s campus to assist in new hire recruitments.

In an anonymous photo submission posted by gmuintifada, a banner draped over the balcony of the Johnson Center listed “Lockheed, Gen. Dynamics [and] Leonardo.” Gmuinfitada wrote in the caption, “students in the Johnson Center have raised a banner condemning the genocidal war profiteers present in the GMU career fair.”

Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Leonardo DRS were among the over 200 companies in attendance at the fair. 

The banner has since been removed from the balcony. 

Gmuintifada is a public instagram account created in June 2024. According to their biography, they are self-described as a “direct action pro-resistance network at GMU.” The account accepts and posts content of “GMU actions” obtained by anonymous sources, according to a story post made on Aug. 30. 

On Aug. 30, the account addressed Mason directly in a post, writing, “the Student intifada will not halt until all ties with weapon manufacturers and institutions aiding in the genocide of Palestinians are ceased, and the complete and total liberation of Palestine [is] realized.”

This is not the first report of property damage in a similar nature. On Aug. 28 at 6:26 a.m., Mason PD reported a case of vandalism of property at Wilkins Plaza. According to August’s daily crime and fire log, Mason filed a complaint reporting “graffiti” with status pending as of Aug. 28. 

Mason PD issued a $2,000 reward offer “for information leading to the successful arrests of the persons involved in the criminal vandalism incident that occurred on Wilkins Plaza outside of the GMU Johnson Center on August 28, 2024 at 5:30am.” This offer is higher than their Crime Solvers Tips submission where “information reported to the police that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.”

Anonymous photo submission

On Aug. 30, the gmuintifada Instagram page posted a video of allegedly said report taking place with the following caption:

“We the George Mason University students of conscience, bear witness to the atrocities funded and supplied by our university, and we have chosen to retaliate. During the early hours of Wednesday morning, autonomous students left the imperial George Mason University a message: that the student intifada has been reignited, and that we will honor all the Gazan martyrs who did not live to witness this academic year. University’s administration’s across the nation have convinced themselves that they can suffocate the flames of resistance that have been unleashed since the inception of this genocide. Yet, what they fail to realize is that their every effort to stifle our voices and eradicate our movement for liberation has only provoked an inferno that will engulf all systems of oppression that are upholding the genocide of the steadfast and honorable Palestinians. George Mason University, you will NEVER be able to escape accountability for your role in this genocide. Gaza is our compass and the hear of our noble struggle and the Student Intifada will confront every dousing of our eternal flame of resistance with precision. We will never be extinguished. Resistance until victory, GMU Intifada #escalate4gaza #studentintifada”

As of Sept. 25, Mason PD is still investigating the incident.