New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced an angry revolt from pro-Palestinian demonstrators Wednesday night as protesters branded him a “traitor” while he attended an Israelis for Peace vigil marking three years since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
More than 100 demonstrators marched from City Hall to Union Square, where the vigil was being held to mourn those killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the bloodshed that followed.
Mamdani attended the gathering and held a candle as protesters gathered outside police barricades, beating drums and trying to drown out speakers at the event.
The crowd directed much of its anger at the mayor.
“Zohran, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” the protesters shouted, according to the outlet.
“700,000 dead. Mamdani, your hands are red!” they also chanted.
“Traitor, traitor, come on out! You sold all your people out!” the group was also heard chanting.
The protesters also shouted: “Zohran, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!”
Some demonstrators went even further, accusing Mamdani of using his identity for political cover.
“We don’t care about where you’re from. You cannot talk about being Muslim anymore. You cannot weaponize being brown anymore. Identity politics can only get you so far,” they said.
One protester reportedly claimed to be a former intern for Zohran Mamdani and accused the mayor of failing to represent the movement that helped fuel his political rise.
The protest reflected growing frustration with Mamdani from some activists who believe he has not gone far enough since taking office.
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NOW: “You opportunist piece of ****!” Pro-Palestine protesters shout and rush after Mamdani as he leaves the “Israelis for Peace” vigil in Union Square NYC, Mayor Mamdani has departed and protesters have pushed over the barricades.
Video by @yyeeaahhhboiii2 | Licensing @FreedomNTV Desk@freedomnews.tv
— Oliya Scootercaster(@ScooterCasterNY) October 8, 2026
Demonstrators also demanded action against New York real-estate events tied to properties in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
“Mayor Mamdani, take a stand. Stop the sale of stolen land,” the group chanted.
Others called for the abolition of the City University of New York’s Board of Trustees, which has faced pressure from anti-Israel activists demanding divestment from investments linked to Israel.
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The confrontation was striking given Mamdani’s long record as one of the most outspoken critics of the Israeli government in New York politics.
Earlier Wednesday, Mamdani released a statement condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas attack as a “horrific war crime” while also accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
“The suffering did not begin nor end that day,” he wrote. “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.”
Israel has rejected accusations that it is committing genocide, saying its military operations target Hamas and other armed groups while attempting to limit civilian casualties.
Mamdani’s statement also drew criticism from lawmakers who argued that the anniversary should remain focused on the victims of the Hamas attack.
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., called the statement “egregious and insulting.”
“There are 364 days of the year to focus on that. This is a day that should just be focused on what was by all agreement a horrific terror attack,” Goldman, who is Jewish, told Politico. “What the mayor’s statement did today was to blame Israelis for the attack that they suffered three years ago. Regardless of what you actually think of the conflict and what’s happened either since or before, there’s no excuse for victim blaming.”
But by Wednesday night, Mamdani was also facing fury from the opposite direction.
As he stood at the Union Square vigil, activists who once viewed him as an ally accused him of betrayal and loudly turned their anger on the mayor himself.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
