New York [US], January 11 (ANI): New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday condemned the language used during a protest outside a synagogue in Queens, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted in support of Hamas and pro-Israel demonstrators shouted racial and homophobic slurs, The New York Times reported.
The protest, held Thursday night in Kew Gardens Hills—a neighborhood with a large Orthodox Jewish community—featured chants including, “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here.” Mamdani was questioned by reporters on Friday regarding the demonstration. In a statement, he said, “The rhetoric and displays that we saw are wrong and have no place in our city.” He added, “My team is in close touch with the NYPD regarding last night’s protest and counterprotest. We will continue to ensure New Yorkers’ safety while entering and exiting houses of worship, as well as the constitutional right to protest.”
Amid criticism for not explicitly denouncing Hamas initially, Mamdani later posted on social media: “Chants in support of a terrorist organisation have no place in our city,” according to The New York Times.
Tensions escalated as the evening continued, with demonstrators from both sides shouting threats and abusive slogans at each other across a police-shut street. Footage of the pro-Hamas chants circulated widely on social media, prompting criticism from elected officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul, who stated, “Hamas is a terrorist organisation that calls for the genocide of Jews. No matter your political beliefs, this type of rhetoric is disgusting; it’s dangerous, and it has no place in New York.”
State Attorney General Letitia James said, “Hamas is a terrorist organisation. We do not support terrorists. Period.” Newly elected City Council Speaker Julie Menin added, “Openly and proudly sympathising with Hamas, especially while standing in the largely Jewish community of Kew Gardens Hills, stokes fear and division. I will continue to fight against vile antisemitism such as this, and I urge everyone to come together at this time to combat rising hatred in all its forms.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also opposed the sale of land in Jerusalem, alleging it had been “stolen” from Palestinians. Meanwhile, some pro-Israel demonstrators hurled antisemitic slurs at their counterparts, chanted “death to Palestine” and “we love ICE,” and waved flags supporting former President Donald Trump and the far-right Orthodox Kach movement, which had been banned from Israeli elections in the 1980s for inciting racism.
The protest took place outside Agudath Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, which hosted a real estate event. A synagogue representative declined to comment, and the school shared that students were sent home early and were not associated with the event or protest activity.
Mayor Mamdani, who has faced scrutiny for his pro-Palestinian activism, has sought to protect houses of worship from disruptive protests, issuing an executive order directing the NYPD and Law Department to assess proposals limiting protest activity outside such sites. While some Jewish leaders criticized his earlier comments, Mamdani has also received support from Jewish voters inspired by his campaign and positions on the Middle East. (ANI)
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