'This is not the New York City I knew': Jews, Muslims and Christians unite at anti-Mamdani rally
NEW YORK — Hundreds of protesters waving Israeli and American flags gathered Tuesday night just steps from Gracie Mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side to rally against Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Speakers at the rally accused the mayor of failing to protect the city's Jewish population and ignoring antisemitism. The protest featured a long list of speakers, including former "Big Time Rush" star James Maslow, artist Scott LoBaido, Lawfare Project founder Brooke Goldstein, along with several pro-Israel activists.
The rally was organized by #EndJewHatred, a grassroots group focused on combating antisemitism.
In between the speeches, the crowd broke into chants of "remove Mamdani" and "USA, USA," and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."
"This is not the New York City I knew and loved," Ari Ackerman, an entrepreneur and outspoken pro-Israel advocate, told Fox News Digital.
"There's a different ideology that has taken over by the man who's living in that house right over there," he continued while pointing at Gracie Mansion, "and it's not good. It's changed everything."
Mamdani's friction with the city's Jewish community came into focus during his campaign, as some questioned his stance on Israel, refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada," and ties to activists like Hasan Piker and Mahmoud Khalil.
Antisemitic incidents have surged in New York City since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Recently, there have been anti-Israel protests outside Jewish institutions and synagogues.
Since taking office in January, tensions have remained high, with many Jewish New Yorkers saying that they do not feel safe in their own city. New York City is home to the largest Jewish population in the world outside Israel.
Some speakers argued that the mayor's rhetoric and actions reflected a deeper failure to confront antisemitism.
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Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, told Fox News Digital that while antisemitism has persisted for thousands of years, he believes Mamdani embodies its modern form.
"Rabbis have been studying antisemitism for thousands of years. We know what it is, we know how to recognize it, and Zohran Mamdani represents it in the here and now," Menken said.
"On day one of taking office, Mamdani, what did he do? He gets rid of the definition of antisemitism," influencer and activist Lizzy Savetsky said, causing the crowd to boo the mayor. "If we can't define it, how can we even fight it?"
While much of the rally focused on antisemitism, several speakers emphasized they were gathered to oppose a mayor who they see as a threat to Americans, not just Jews. The speakers represented several different backgrounds, including Christians and Muslims.
"This is not about antisemitism. This is about who we are as Americans," Goldstein told Fox News Digital. "Do we believe in the rule of law? Do we believe in civil rights? Do we believe in equal protection?"
"We are demanding equal protection under the law. The truth is on our side, the law is on our side," she added.
Abraham Hamra, a Syrian Jew who was forced to escape his home country with his family as a child, said that Mamdani represented a larger threat to Americans.
"What's coming here, me and my family escaped," he said. "For every New Yorker, for every American watching this, this is not a threat to the Jewish community. This is a threat to you and your way of life as Americans."
Hamra encouraged Americans to "stand up tall" against radical Islam and socialism.
Mamdani drew attention recently when he announced that he would not march in the Israel Day Parade, which is scheduled for May 31. Since 1964, every sitting mayor has attended the parade. This year, it comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel protests outside Jewish institutions.
"He's not attending the Israel Parade, so we're going to bring the parade to his door," influencer Zach Sage Fox told Fox News Digital.
Anila Ali, president of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, joined the protest just days before she was set to make history. Ali is slated to lead the first Muslim group to march in New York City's annual Israel Day Parade, which has taken place for over 60 years.
Ali noted at the beginning of her speech that the rally coincided with the start of Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest holidays in Islam, which commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son as a demonstration of his faith in God.
"The Abrahamic prophets did not teach hate, and if Mayor Mamdani says he's a Muslim, then this hate on Jewish New Yorkers is un-Islamic, un-American and immoral," Ali declared.
She went on to accuse Mamdani of "using Islam to divide Muslims, Jews, Christians and all of us." Ali also said that the mayor was using his faith to push his ideology.
While some focused on what they saw as Mamdani's failures with public safety and his impact on the future of the city, others brought up current situations in which they saw the mayor falling short.
"He’ll condemn a swastika drawn on a building, but he won’t condemn Hezbollah flags and Hamas flags that are being paraded around the streets daily now in New York," Fox told Fox News Digital.
Fox added that Mamdani represented a larger phenomenon in the U.S., in which many people "hate Jews, but they mask it under Zionism."
The rally highlighted broader frustrations many of Mamdani's critics have expressed, with speakers repeatedly voicing their concerns about public safety, antisemitism and the future of New York City.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani's office for comment.