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NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani's ‘terrorist organisation’ remark amid ‘we support Hamas’ chants
The footage has also triggered condemnation from political leaders at the city, state and federal levels in the United States.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned chants of “we support Hamas” after demonstrators were filmed shouting the slogan during a protest in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Queens.
Several unverified video from the protest widely circulating on social media showed demonstrators waving Palestinian flags while chanting in support of Hamas, which the US government designates as a terrorist organisation. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
The footage has also triggered swift condemnation from political leaders at the city, state and federal levels in the United States.
What Zohran Mamdani said
Mamdani addressed the chants later the same day, stressing that support for terrorist organisations would not be tolerated, while also defending the constitutional right to protest.
“As I said earlier today, chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city,” Mamdani wrote. “We will continue to ensure New Yorkers’ safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest.”
Federal law prohibits providing material support to designated terrorist organisations, including Hamas, which is listed as such by the United States.
Reacting to the chants, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, "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."
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In a post on X, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, "Hey, so marching into a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood and leading with a chant saying 'we support Hamas' is a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do. Pretty basic!"
Mamdani's Past remarks
Mamdani’s response also drew renewed attention to his earlier remarks on the issue. In an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum last October, Mamdani declined to condemn Hamas, instead shifting the discussion to affordability concerns for New Yorkers.
The latest incident comes as tensions remain elevated nationwide amid protests linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict following the October 7, 2023 attacks.
