Hundreds protest Mayor Mamdani outside Gracie Mansion over rising antisemitism in NYC

Hundreds of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered outside Gracie Mansion in New York City on Tuesday night to protest Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of failing to confront rising antisemitism and anti-Israel extremism in the city.

The rally, organized by the #EndJewHatred movement, drew hundreds of protesters from across the tri-state area, according to the New York Post. Demonstrators carried Israeli and American flags as well as anti-Mamdani signs. Protesters also thanked the NYPD for protecting the event and concluded the rally by singing the National Anthem. Some protesters also called for Mamdani’s resignation, while others demanded he be deported. 

A smaller counterprotest supporting the socialist mayor took place nearby.

The protest comes amid growing tensions in New York City over antisemitism, pro-Hamas demonstrations, and anti-Israel activism following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel. Corey Cohen, a 32-year-old descendant of Holocaust survivors, became emotional while describing the fear he experiences as a Jewish Zionist living in New York City.

“If people are telling me that I can’t speak Hebrew because I might get attacked, then, Zohran, what are we doing here?” Cohen told the New York Post. “But people are not getting attacked for speaking Arabic or French or Chinese, so I’ve just … that’s why I’m crying.”

Cohen also criticized Democrats for what he described as insufficient outrage following Hamas’s October 7 massacre. “I really do think that [Democrats] are for the minority, they’re for human rights, and that’s why my heart is shattered, because [Hamas] violated human rights,” he said.

As the protest concluded, parts of the crowd began chanting, “Deport Mamdani.” Mamdani was born in Uganda and became a naturalized American citizen in 2018 when he was 27 years old.

Organizers tied the protest to broader frustrations over anti-Israel rhetoric, pro-Hamas demonstrations, and what they view as weak responses from city leadership. The #EndJewHatred movement has increasingly organized demonstrations in response to rising antisemitism and anti-Israel activism in major cities, including recent protests outside The New York Times headquarters over coverage critics described as anti-Israel and sympathetic to Hamas narratives.