Mamdani was pelted with xenophobic attacks and called a «Jew-hating piece of s***» while visiting a New York restaurant.
Zohran Mamdani, New York state assemblyman and New York City mayoral candidate, was heckled, booed and subjected to xenophobic insults while campaigning in Staten Island this week.Why It Matters
Mamdani, 33, became the Democratic mayoral nominee after defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June 24 Democratic primary.
Results finalized by the New York City Board of Elections showed Mamdani easily clearing the 50 percent threshold, resulting in both Cuomo and New York City Mayor Eric Adams running as independents in opposition of his candidacy.
All three have gone after one another while the perennial Republican candidate, 71-year-old Curtis Sliwa, is once again aiming for a major upset for the GOP. Former federal prosecutor Jim Walden is also vying for a long-shot victory as an independent.What To Know
«You are not welcome in this f****** island», Scott LoBaido, local artist-activist, shouted at Mamdani while he was visiting Istanbul Bay Mediterranean Restaurant on Wednesday, according to video footage posted to X, formerly Twitter.
LoBaido, 60, also called Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, a «communist», and later added, «You f****** Jew-hating piece of s***.»
Mamdani has been sharply critical of the Israeli government’s military actions in the Gaza Strip, which have killed more than 60,000 Palestinians since the Israel-Hamas war started following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel.
The Democratic mayoral candidate has called for Israel to end its «occupation» of Gaza and described the country as an apartheid state. He has also voiced support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to economically isolate Israel.
