North Side resident appears in court after allegedly vandalizing Israeli flag
Victim has been targeted with antisemitic acts several times over the last year
A July 28 preliminary hearing was held for Michael Walter Lawlor on charges of stalking, harassment, ethnic intimidation, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.
The North Side resident and urban designer was charged after a prolonged campaign, lasting several weeks, of allegedly spitting on the Israeli flag of Deena Blumenfeld.
Blumenfeld, a Mexican War Street resident, has been a frequent target of antisemitic activity. Last year, an Israeli flag on her property was pulled from the ground and thrown in a nearby garbage can; anti-Israeli flyers were left at her house; and the words, “We demand blood” and “For Blood and Soil” were painted on the sidewalk outside of the home she shares with her family. Various individuals have been caught on video spitting on her flag over the last year, as well.
Lawlor was recorded spitting on the flag at least eight times beginning on May 29, 2025.
Blumenfeld spoke at the hearing, sharing video of Lawlor. She told the judge of the emotional impact the crime has on her and her family.
“I talked about wanting to feel safe again in my neighborhood and the fact that one of my kids is still under the age of 18 and my need for them to feel safe, as well,” she said.
Lawlor didn’t speak in court, according to Blumenfeld. Instead, his lawyer, Michael Dewitt Barry, argued that some people view the Israeli flag as a hate symbol and referenced the number of dead and starving in Gaza. The judge, Katherine P. Lovelace, stopped the public defender, saying she didn’t need a history lesson and that they weren’t there to discuss politics.
Lawlor is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 10, 2025. He remains free pending trial.
— David Rullo
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