Protesters Accuse NYC Mayor Mamdani of Genocide During Vigil for Oct 7 Attacks

<p>A group of protesters in New York City on October 7 targeted Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a vigil commemorating the anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel. The protesters accused Mamdani of being a "traitor" and charged him with "genocide," stating he "cannot weaponize being brown anymore."</p><p>The demonstration, consisting of over 100 individuals, marched from City Hall to Union Square, where the vigil was held to honor the victims of the October 7 attacks and the subsequent violence affecting both Israelis and Palestinians.</p><p>Protesters positioned themselves outside the barricades of the Israelis for Peace Vigil, using drums to attempt to drown out speakers, as reported by City & State New York.</p><p>Mamdani attended the vigil and held a candle while facing insults from the crowd, including accusations of genocide and claims that he was "selling all your people out."</p><p>Protesters shouted, "Zohran, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?" and "700,000 dead. Mamdani, your hands are red!" They also chanted, "Traitor, traitor, come on out! You sold all your people out!" and "Zohran, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!"</p><p>One protester, identifying as a former intern for Mamdani, claimed he "was never working for the people." The group demanded that Mamdani take action against real estate events promoting properties in Israeli settlements, which they described as "stolen" Palestinian land.</p><p>Additionally, the protesters called for the abolition of the City University of New York's Board of Trustees, which they accused of ignoring demands to divest from investments linked to Israel and mishandling anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.</p><p>Despite the accusations from the protesters, Mamdani has been a critic of the Israeli government's actions in Gaza and has condemned its treatment of Palestinians following the 2023 attack.</p><p>In a statement on the same day, Mamdani referred to Hamas’ attack as a "horrific war crime" and characterized Israel’s military operations as genocide. He stated, "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."</p><p>Israel has denied the allegations of genocide, asserting that its military actions target Hamas and other terrorist groups while attempting to minimize civilian casualties.</p><p>Mamdani's statement drew bipartisan criticism, with Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., calling it "egregious and insulting." Goldman remarked, "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," expressing concern that Mamdani's remarks blamed Israelis for the attack they experienced three years prior.</p>