Anti-Israel protesters label Mamdani a 'traitor,' accuse him of 'genocide' outside Oct 7 vigil
New York City Protestors Target Mayor Mamdani at Union Square Vigil
On the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, a crowd of more than 100 anti‑Israel demonstrators marched from City Hall to Union Square, where they confronted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a vigil that had been organized to mourn those killed in the attack and the ensuing violence.
The protestors stood just outside the barricades of the “Israel for Peace Vigil,” beating drums and attempting to drown out the speakers. They shouted a barrage of insults at the mayor, calling him a “traitor” and accusing him of genocide. One protester yelled, “Zohran, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” The chant “700,000 dead. Mamdani, your hands are red!” echoed through the square, followed by repeated shouts of “Traitor, traitor, come on out! You sold all your people out!” The group also chanted, “We don’t care about where you’re from. You cannot talk about being Muslim anymore. You cannot weaponize being brown anymore.” A former intern for Mamdani claimed the mayor “was never working for the people.”
The demonstrators demanded that the mayor take action against real‑estate events that market properties in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which they say are “stolen” Palestinian land. “Mayor Mamdani, take a stand. Stop the sale of stolen land,” one chant went. The 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, and criticized the board for ignoring calls to divest from Israel‑linked investments and for its handling of anti‑Israel demonstrations on campus.
Mamdani, who has long criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and condemned the 2023 attacks, was present at the vigil holding a candle. In a statement released the same day, he called Hamas’ assault a “horrific war crime” and described Israel’s subsequent military operation in Gaza as a genocide. He wrote that “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.” Israel has rejected claims of genocide, insisting it targets Hamas and other terrorist groups while seeking to minimize civilian casualties.
Mamdani’s remarks drew bipartisan backlash. Representative Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York and a Jewish lawmaker, called the mayor’s statement “egregious and insulting,” stating, “This is a day that should just be focused on what was by all agreement a horrific terror attack.” Goldman argued that the mayor’s remarks “blamed Israelis for the attack that they suffered three years ago” and that there was no excuse for victim‑blaming, regardless of one’s views on the broader conflict.
The vigil, intended as an evening of mourning for victims of the Oct. 7 attacks, was marked by the protesters’ chant of “Long live the Intifada.” While the demonstrators expressed frustration with the mayor’s stance on Israel, the event underscored the deep divisions in New York City over the U.S. response to the Israel‑Palestine conflict.