New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced boos and chants from pro-Palestinian protesters after he arrived at an October 7 memorial event in Union Square.
The protesters disrupted the candlelight vigil organised by Israelis for Peace New York on Wednesday and accused Mamdani of supporting genocide while chanting slogans in support of Hamas.
The protest came after Mamdani faced criticism from Jewish leaders over a statement he issued to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks. While he acknowledged Israelis were killed and hostages taken during the Hamas-led attack, he focused much of the statement on Palestinian suffering in Gaza.
The vigil descended into chaos shortly before Mamdani arrived at around 7:30pm. Police formed a cordon around the event as protesters shouted at organisers and attendees. The protest appeared to draw at least twice as many people as the vigil.
Mamdani walked through a police barricade wearing black before taking his place near the speakers’ dais. He held a candle during the ceremony and did not address the crowd.
Protesters soon noticed the mayor and began directing chants at him, accusing him of being a coward and of killing babies in Gaza.
The vigil itself faced delays after protesters arrived at Union Square. Some protesters chased a man carrying an Israeli flag while two others rushed towards the crowd. A larger group chanted “death, death to the IDF” and “resistance is glorious, we will be victorious” as organisers gathered to decide how to respond.
The protesters had marched to Union Square from an earlier demonstration outside City Hall, where they accused Mamdani of betraying the Palestinian cause.
Mamdani has repeatedly criticised Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s genocide in Gaza and called him a war criminal. Netanyahu criticised Mamdani during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month, calling him an antisemite and saying Jewish New Yorkers were less safe under his leadership.
Mamdani responded by accusing Netanyahu of using the speech to spread “baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians.”
