By Rajwa Quasim
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced backlash from pro-Palestinian protesters Wednesday as he attended a vigil marking the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
The candlelight vigil, held at Union Square in Manhattan, was organized by Israelis for Peace NYC, a group of Israeli activists who oppose the occupation and are critical of Israeli policies toward Palestinians. The event marked the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,100 people, according to Israeli authorities.
About 100 protesters gathered outside the vigil and expressed their opposition to Mamdani. Media reports said they used drums and megaphones to drown out speakers at the event. They called Mamdani a “traitor” and chanted, “Traitor, traitor, come on out! You sold all your people out!” and “Zohran, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!”
Another chant accused Mamdani of being unable to “weaponize being brown anymore.”
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Mamdani stood silently at the event, holding a candle while protesters gathered outside the venue.
Earlier Wednesday, Mamdani wrote in a statement posted on X, “This day is profoundly painful for so many New Yorkers. It marks three years since the horrific war crimes of October 7. On that day, Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. We grieve alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss.”
In the same post, he addressed Israel’s retaliatory attacks and the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
“The suffering did not begin nor end that day. It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — including more than 21,000 children,” he wrote.
Mamdani added that the suffering had intensified with Israeli attacks on ambulances outside hospitals, residential buildings, journalists and shipments of food aid.
The post drew a range of reactions, including criticism from Israeli supporters and political figures who argued that the anniversary should primarily focus on the victims of the Oct. 7 attack. Among those who criticized Mamdani was Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.
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Israel has rejected allegations of genocide, saying its military operations are directed at Hamas and that it seeks to minimize civilian casualties.
The organizers of the vigil wrote on Instagram, “We do not, for one second, forget the government that allowed for October 7th to happen and then proceeded to commit genocide in Gaza while also sacrificing and at times killing the hostages.”
The post added, “And while we know that the occupation or apartheid did not start with Netanyahu and his cabinet of war mongers, there is no path to even start the way forward while a lying, mass-murdering, criminal under multiple investigations is in charge.”
Protesters urged Mamdani to take action against New York real estate events marketing properties in Israeli West Bank settlements. They chanted, “Stop the sale of stolen land.”
The protesters also called for the abolition of the City University of New York’s Board of Trustees, citing its handling of Israel-related investments and campus protests over the conflict.