Is vandalism of a Christian church protected under the First Amendment?

 

That’s the claim made by attorneys for three Muslim activists accused of spray-painting graffiti near the entrance of the nondenominational Uncommon Church in Hurst, Texas, located about 10 miles northeast of Fort Worth. The vandalism, which occurred in early March 2024, included an expletive referring to Israel, a swastika, and several inverted red triangles, a symbol used by Hamas and pro-Palestinian protesters to refer to Israeli military targets.