One year after an antisemitic firebombing attack outside the county courthouse in Boulder, Colo., that killed one person and wounded more than a dozen others, organizers say the Boulder Jewish Festival will return to the site with “significant security presence.”
The annual festival, scheduled for June 7 on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, will feature increased patrols, undercover officers, aerial and rooftop monitoring and K-9 units, according to the Boulder Jewish Community Center.
The JCC said the Boulder Police Department, federal law enforcement agencies and the Secure Community Network will assist with security operations.
“Not all measures will be visible to or shared with the public, which is by design,” the JCC stated. “Specific details of police tactical plans and deployment locations remain confidential.”
Organizers described the security measures as “proactive and precautionary” and said they are not tied to any specific or immediate threat.
The festival will take place near the site where participants in a weekly Run for Their Lives march calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were attacked on June 1, 2025.
Karen Diamond, 82, died weeks later from injuries she sustained in the attack. Authorities said Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 46, threw Molotov cocktails at the gathering while shouting anti-Israel slogans. In May, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and dozens of other state charges. He still faces federal hate-crime charges.
As part of this year’s festival, Boulder County will unveil a memorial stone marker outside the courthouse honoring Diamond and the victims of the attack. County officials encouraged residents to attend the ceremony.
“In the face of many tragedies, Boulder County residents have proven time and again that our diversity and our differences make us more successful, more vibrant and stronger,” Boulder County Commissioners Claire Levy, Marta Loachamin and Ashley Stolzmann wrote in a joint statement.
