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A group of anti-Israel protesters targeted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, calling him a “traitor,” accusing him of “genocide” and saying he “can no longer use being brown as a weapon.”
The crowd of more than 100 protesters marched from City Hall to Union Square, where a vigil was held to mark the anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. The vigil was organized as an evening of mourning for those killed in the October 7 attacks and the bloodshed that followed, including Israelis and Palestinians.
The anti-Israel crowd was right outside the barricades of the Israelis for Peace vigil, banging drums and trying to drown out the speakers, according to the city and state of New York.
Mamdani was present at the vigil and held a candle as protesters hurled various insults at him, including accusations of genocide and “betrayal of all your people.”
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A group of anti-Israel protesters targeted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him a “traitor.” (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
‘Zohran, what do you say? How many children have you killed today?’” the protesters shouted, according to the media outlet.
“700,000 dead. Mamdani, your hands are red!” they also chanted.
“Traitor, traitor, get out!” You have sold all your people! the group was also heard singing.
The crowd also shouted, “Zohran, you can’t hide. We accuse you of genocide!
“We don’t care where you come from. You can no longer talk about being Muslim. You can no longer use being brown as a weapon. Identity politics can only take you so far,” they said.
One protester also claimed to be a former intern of Mamdani, saying the mayor “never worked for the people.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attends a rally called by Israelis for peace. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
Protesters also demanded that Mamdani take action against New York real estate events that have commercialized properties in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which protesters call “stolen” Palestinian land, according to City & State New York.
“Mayor Mamdani, take a stand. Stop the sale of stolen land,” the group chanted.
Protesters also called for the abolition of the City University of New York’s board of trustees, whose members are largely appointed by the mayor and governor. Protesters have previously accused the board of ignoring demands for Israel-related divestment and criticized its handling of anti-Israel protests on campus.
Despite charges of genocide leveled by protesters on Wednesday, Mamdani has been a long-time critic of the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and has denounced the treatment of Palestinians following the 2023 attack.
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An anti-Israel crowd stood just outside the barricades of the Israelis for Peace vigil, banging drums and trying to drown out the speakers. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)
In a statement released Wednesday, Mamdani condemned the Hamas attack as a “horrific war crime,” while calling Israel’s subsequent military operation a genocide.
“The suffering neither began nor ended that day,” he wrote. “Instead, it continued through the Israeli government’s devastating and ongoing genocide in Gaza, during which it killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, including more than 21,000 children.”
Israel has rejected accusations that it has committed genocide in Gaza, saying its army targets Hamas and other terrorist groups while seeking to minimize civilian casualties.
The mayor’s statement sparked a bipartisan backlash, with Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., calling it “egregious and insulting.”
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“There are 364 days in the year to focus on this. This is a day that should be focused solely on what was, by all accounts, a horrific terrorist attack,” Goldman, who is Jewish, told Politico. “The mayor’s statement today was about blaming the Israelis for the attack they suffered three years ago. Regardless of what you really think about the conflict and what has happened since or before, there is no excuse for blaming the victims.”
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