Students Celebrated A Killer—And Sparked Outrage

Person holding Palestinian flag near tall building

A radical campus group at the University of Colorado Boulder is openly honoring the terrorist who burned an 82-year-old Jewish woman to death at a peaceful rally, and calling his attack “the only sane response” to supposed genocide.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Story Snapshot

A CU Boulder Students for Justice in Palestine group praised the Pearl Street firebomber as a hero and “sane.”^[1]^[2]^[3]
The attacker, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, killed 82-year-old Karen Diamond and injured over a dozen at a peaceful pro-Israel march.^[1]^[2]
SJP called the firebombing “chickens coming home to roost” and a “strike against the colonist procession” that “celebrates genocide.”^[2]^[3]
CU Boulder condemned the post as “abhorrent,” stressed SJP is not recognized, but most Colorado officials stayed quiet.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Radical Students Praise Deadly Firebombing as ‘Sane’ Resistance

Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Colorado Boulder published a statement honoring convicted killer Mohamed Sabry Soliman on the one-year anniversary of his terror attack.^[1]^[2]^[3] The group said he “struck against the colonist procession” and took “direct action” against what they called a “Zionist death cult” in Boulder.^[2] They claimed his attack was “the only sane response” for a “rational human being” faced with what they describe as the “normalization of genocide.”^[2]^[3] This framing treats lethal violence against peaceful neighbors as justified political speech.

Soliman, an Egyptian national, attacked the weekly “Run for Their Lives” march on Pearl Street in Boulder on June 1, 2025.^[1]^[2] The event supported the release of hostages held by Hamas and was organized as a peaceful rally.^[2] Police and court records show Soliman used a makeshift flamethrower and hurled Molotov cocktails into the crowd, killing 82-year-old Karen Diamond and burning more than a dozen others.^[1]^[2] He later admitted he spent a year planning the assault and wanted to kill “all Zionist people,” making his intent crystal clear.^[1]^[2]

Inside SJP’s Extremist Justification of Terror

The Boulder Students for Justice in Palestine statement goes far beyond simple political speech and openly celebrates targeted killing.^[1]^[2]^[3] It labels the marchers “colonists,” calls the hostages they supported “war criminals,” and claims the rally itself was an act of “Zionist violence.”^[2] The group insists there is “no meaningful difference between speech and force,” using that idea to excuse violent “direct action” as if it were the same as protest.^[2] They even invoke Ward Churchill and Malcolm X, calling the firebombing “chickens coming home to roost” for a supposedly “genocidal global order.”^[2]

At the end of their statement, SJP demands Soliman’s release from prison and calls for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, tying his case to broader left-wing battles against American law enforcement.^[2] They praise him as a man who “refused the comfortable position of the grateful immigrant” and “obedient subject,” casting him as a model of resistance for other activists.^[2]^[3] Yet this narrative ignores that Soliman pleaded guilty to 101 charges, expressed remorse, and received life plus over 2,000 years in prison for attacking unarmed civilians.^[2] The facts show deliberate mass violence, not some noble sacrifice.

Campus, Community, and Political Response

The University of Colorado Boulder responded with an official statement denouncing the SJP post and its glorification of violence.^[4] The university called the content “abhorrent,” stressed that it “does not reflect CU Boulder’s values,” and reminded the public that Students for Justice in Palestine is not a recognized student organization on campus.^[4] The administration also pointed to its ban on discrimination and harassment based on protected class, a direct rebuke to praising an antisemitic firebombing as “resistance.”^[4] The post has been sent to campus offices for further review, signaling possible disciplinary action.

Local and national media outlets covered the story as a shocking example of campus extremism, describing Soliman as a terrorist and SJP’s message as praise for his attack.^[1]^[3] Jewish community leaders in Colorado organized memorial events for Karen Diamond and the other victims, contrasting their grief with SJP’s celebration of the killer.^[3] Yet reports note that most Colorado elected officials stayed silent about the SJP statement, with only a few voices, such as state Representative Gabe Evans, strongly condemning it.^[5] That silence worries many families who see rising campus hate and want clear, firm pushback.

What This Means for Parents, Patriots, and Campus Culture

For conservative readers, this case shows how far the “words are violence” idea and campus radicalism have drifted.^[11]^[16]^[17]^[19] A student group is not just criticizing Israeli policy; it is praising a man who burned an elderly woman alive at a peaceful rally, claiming lethal force is a “sane” answer to speech it dislikes.^[2]^[3] Research on political violence finds that once activists treat opponents’ speech as physical harm, they are more likely to justify real attacks as “defensive” or “necessary.”^[16]^[18]^[19] That mindset undermines the First Amendment, public safety, and basic moral common sense.

This episode also highlights a gap between strong words from universities and weak action from many politicians.^[3]^[4]^[5] CU Boulder condemned the post and stressed that it will review it, but lawmakers and officials in Colorado mostly avoided the fight.^[5] For parents and patriots who care about safe campuses, equal protection, and the rule of law, the lesson is clear. Pressure from voters still matters. When taxpayer-funded schools allow unrecognized extremist groups to thrive online while officials stay quiet, it sends a message that violent rhetoric against Jews or any group might be tolerated until bodies fall on the pavement.