Pro-Palestinian Activist Sentenced 19 Years for California Firebombings

Casey Robert Goonan, a pro-Palestinian activist, was sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for a series of arson attacks targeting the University of California, Berkeley police vehicle, campus buildings, and a federal courthouse in Oakland in June 2024. Goonan pleaded guilty to maliciously damaging property with fire or explosives and was labeled a "domestic terrorist" by the court for committing felony offenses intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism. The attacks involved Molotov cocktails and other incendiary devices, and Goonan was motivated by the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, calling for similar acts of property damage on Bay Area college campuses in support of Palestine. The court ordered Goonan to serve 235 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, restitution exceeding $94,000, and a special fee. Despite remorse expressed by Goonan's attorney, Goonan plans to continue pro-Palestinian activism from prison. Surveillance footage and court documents detailed the incidents, including the attempt to firebomb the federal building and other fires set on the UC Berkeley campus.