NYPD Used High-Tech Surveillance to Find Gaza Paint Splatter Protester, Docs Show

In September 2024, a pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University culminated in a building occupation, leading to dozens of arrests and nationwide activism. On the day classes resumed, a protester splattered red paint on the university's famous Alma Mater statue, causing controversy. New York Police Department (NYPD) investigators utilized advanced surveillance and facial recognition software to identify the alleged vandal, according to court documents provided to The Intercept.

In July 2025, Jakhi Isaiah, a New Jersey-based activist with the last name McCray, was charged with the incident.

The extensive use of surveillance tools against pro-Palestine protesters sparked concerns about chilling dissent, as Bina Ahmad, a civil rights and criminal defense attorney, explained. Isaiah's case was initially abandoned but was later reignited by federal authorities. Although the damage to the statue was quickly cleaned up, NYPD detectives tracked Isaiah using 21 camera angles for over two hours, following him after he entered a building and changed clothing.

A masked image captured on video later led to a facial recognition match, resulting in Isaiah's arrest for the vandalism.

Despite the charges, Isaiah was not arraigned on the Columbia-related offense, suggesting a stalled NYPD investigation. Internal communications revealed that Columbia's public safety department asked to terminate the investigation, but it was quickly reinstated. In June 2025, Isaiah was arrested for a multi-car arson at a Brooklyn precinct, reigniting the NYPD investigation into the Columbia vandalism. Isaiah ultimately surrendered to federal authorities and pleaded guilty to one count of arson in federal court.