BOULDER, Colo. — One year after the deadly firebombing on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, survivor Ed Victor is reflecting on the attack and the fight against antisemitism.
Victor said he had joined more than a dozen peaceful demonstrations at Pearl Street with the local chapter of Run For Their Lives, an organization formed to call for the release of hostages held in Gaza. On June 1, 2025, a man targeted the group during their weekly rally, unleashing a makeshift flamethrower and throwing Molotov cocktails at participants.
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Witnesses said the man yelled "Free Palestine" before targeting the group. More than a dozen people were hurt and 82-year-old Karen Diamond later died from her injuries in the antisemitic attack.
Victor said the group had lined up in front of the courthouse when the man targeted them.
"Suddenly it felt like glass was broken... and then I felt heat on my leg and then just turned, and a woman was on fire," Victor said.
He said he and others scrambled to extinguish the flames using the only things within reach: the banners and flags they had been carrying moments before.
"It took too long. It's horrible. And then my friend at the very end, finally put his body over her to get the last of the flames out," Victor said. "One person is a tragedy, but his intention was to kill us all. I mean, he had a dozen Molotov cocktails."
The Department of Justice said authorities found a handwritten document in the vehicle driven by the attacker, which said “Zionism is our enemies until [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land,” and further described Israel as a “cancer entity.”
When asked how he interprets the phrase "Free Palestine" since the attack, Victor said he thinks of it as a call to "kill the Jews."
"I personally feel threatened when that phrase is being used, wherever it is being used," Victor said. "Other people might use it as a rallying cry for their own reasons but I think it's important for them to recognize not everybody's going to hear a rallying cry."
Victor also cautioned against conflating the actions of the Israeli government in the Gaza War with the Jewish people as a whole.
"It's very difficult for me to help parse what happens in Gaza with Israel," he said. "But the Israeli government is not Israel. The same way the U.S. government, and whoever our leader currently is in power, is not all of America. When people think about Israel, think about the Jewish people and separate that from the Israeli government."
State Senator Iman Jodeh, who is Palestinian and Colorado's first Muslim lawmaker, also spoke to Denver7 about the one year mark since the attack.
"What happened in Boulder was absolutely horrific, and my heart continues to be with the victim's family and those that were injured and understandably shaken," Jodeh said. "A year ago I was proud of the Muslim community for stepping up and standing with the Jewish community, especially in Boulder, understanding that you know what was happening was incredibly difficult and really wanting to make sure that we recenter what we all wanted to see and that was in fact peace and that his actions did not reflect our faith."
For Victor, the one year remembrance of the attack is also a moment of personal transformation. He said the incident pushed him to step out of the anonymity he had long maintained as a Jewish man.
"I've always been anonymous. I am Ed Victor. You would not know I'm Jewish, and I decided on that day, at that time, at that moment, to put myself out there and to admit that I'm Jewish, and not just to literally hide behind my anonymity," Victor said.
He said he now finds more power in advocating for Jewish identity and safety, and said his experience has become a source of momentum.
"For me personally, I've used my experience, I use it as propulsion. But I see other people still suffering in their grief and loss, and not sure what to do next," Victor said. "The best way to push back against, I'll say, Jew hate, demonizing Jews is to recognize when other people are feeling uncomfortable and pushed out of spaces, and to realize that some people are doing that."
