Overview
- Video from a Jan. 8 demonstration in Kew Gardens Hills showed protesters chanting “we support Hamas” outside a synagogue and Jewish school, prompting widespread condemnation.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani later stated that chants supporting a terrorist organization have no place in New York City, though critics faulted him for a delayed response.
- Mamdani’s stance drew extra attention because he recently revoked post‑2024 mayoral directives, including measures tied to antisemitism definitions and protest limits near synagogues.
- Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, Attorney General Letitia James and other officials condemned the chant, while reports also noted counterprotesters shouting racial and homophobic slurs.
- The protest coincided with two NYPD shootings under investigation; Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised officers’ actions, and Mamdani reaffirmed plans for a dedicated mental‑health response unit without speculating on the cases.