NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Calls Hamas a Terrorist Group

10 hours ago 6

January 11, 2026 | 12:59 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Mayor of New York City (NYC), Zohran Mamdani, has condemned pro-Hamas singing during heated protests outside a synagogue in Queens on Thursday night, January 8, 2026. The protests were led by the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation (PAL-Awda).

A report by The New York Times (NYT) cited by NDTV stated that during the protests, pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted support for Hamas. On the other side, pro-Israeli demonstrators shouted racial and homophobic slurs. The protests included the chant, "Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here."

When asked about the protests and the slogans chanted, Zohran Mamdani told The NYT in a statement that the rhetoric and actions seen in the protests were wrong and have no place in New York City. "My team is in close touch with the N.Y.P.D. regarding last night's protest and counterprotest," the statement read. "We will continue to ensure New Yorkers' safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest," he said.

After being criticized for not specifically condemning Hamas, Zohran Mamdani stated in a post on X on Saturday morning, "As I said earlier today, chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city."

"We will continue to ensure New Yorkers' safety entering and exiting houses of worship as well as the constitutional right to protest," said Zohran Mamdani.

In addition to Mamdani, other politicians in New York also condemned the pro-Hamas singing during Thursday's protests. New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "Hamas is a terrorist organization. We do not support terrorists. Period."

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, "Hamas is a terrorist organization 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."

Meanwhile, in a post on X, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, "Hey, so marching into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and leading with a chant saying 'we support Hamas' is a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do. Pretty basic!"

Zohran Mamdani is known for being a supporter of Palestine. On his first day as Mayor of New York, he signed an executive order revoking a number of his predecessor Eric Adams' policies. As reported by ABC News, this included two rules in support of Israel.

One of the executive orders revoked banned city agencies from boycotting or withdrawing investments from Israel. Another order adopted the definition of anti-Semitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) equating certain forms of anti-Israel criticism, such as opposition to the Jewish ethnic character of Israel, with anti-Semitism.

Read: Zohran Mamdani Rescinds Pro-Israel Rules on First Day in Office

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