A decision to invite New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Manhattan’s annual Columbus Day Parade has sparked backlash among some Italian-American leaders.
asserted
decision → invite → leaders
The Columbus Citizens Foundation, which is responsible for holding the parade, invited Mamdani in the hopes of fostering a better relationship between City Hall and the Italian-American community, the New York Post reported.
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Post → hold → Hall
Mamdani’s past criticism of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, however, has sparked backlash among Italians who feel inviting the mayor is in poor taste.
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inviting → spark → taste
"Are you kidding me?
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you → kid → me
This is a WEAK and FECKLESS move by the organizers," Italian American Civil Rights League president Mike Crispi wrote on X.
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Crispi → write → X.
"Zohran has showed contempt for our people and kissing a** won’t change his true feelings.
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kissing → show → feelings
Italian Americans need to wake up and get tough.
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Americans → need → ?
It’s the only way to preserve our culture.
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It → ’ → culture
Crispi’s criticism was a reference to a 2020 social media post where Mamdani posted a photo of himself brandishing his middle finger at a statue of Columbus with the caption "take it down."
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Mamdani → post → it
Columbus holds a near-legendary status among Italian Americans, with the 15th-century explorer viewed by many as a historic link between their heritage and the United States.
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explorer → hold → heritage
"We feel cooperating is always the better path . . . and we hope to create a good relationship with his office," Columbus Citizens Foundation president Christopher Loiacono told the New York Post when asked about his decision to invite Mamdani.
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Loiacono → feel → Mamdani
"We hope he will be more open to [working] with the Italian community."
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he → hope → community
It is unclear if Mamdani has accepted the invitation to the parade.
uncertain
Mamdani → accept → parade
Columbus Day falls on Monday, Oct. 12, with New York City’s annual Columbus Day Parade set for Manhattan.
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Parade → fall → Manhattan
"This is a man who has made it clear that he doesn’t respect Christopher Columbus, and he doesn’t even think us enough of a group to put on his immigrant enclave map," New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican from Queens, wrote in response.
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Ariola → make → response
"Why would he want to be there?
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he → want → ?
To get pictures and pretend he’s a paisan now?
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he → get → pictures
He should sit this one out."
Ariola’s comment was an apparent reference to a map of ethnic enclaves published by the city earlier this year that excluded Little Italy, which also sparked backlash from Italians.
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which → sit → Italians
The map was initially created by the previous administration in 2023, and Mamdani said his administration added several neighborhoods before releasing the 2026 version.
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administration → create → version
Nonetheless, Mamdani has moved to update the map to include Little Italy.
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Mamdani → move → Italy
A Columbus Day parade wouldn’t be the first public event Mamdani has attended this year to draw organized opposition to his presence.
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Mamdani → attend → presence
The mayor’s presence at the annual memorial service at Ground Zero on Sept. 11 spurred some family members of victims to circulate a petition demanding that he stay home.
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he → spur → petition
"Just as Mamdani's presence at the 9/11 Ceremony was inappropriate, we Italian/Americans don't want him on Columbus Day either," right-wing political operative Roger Stone wrote on X.
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Stone → want → X.
Some non-Italians are offended on behalf of the community.
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Italians → offend → community
"I’m not Italian but I’ve been an honorary dignitary for 5 years running at the Columbus Day Parade thanks to my friend Angelo Vivolo," Jewish radio host Sid Rosenberg wrote on X. "The organizers of the parade invited [Mamdani] to attend?
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organizers → ’m → Mamdani
This Radical Islam mother f*cker gave the finger to a Columbus statue and left Little Italy/Arthur Avenue OFF his bullsh*t immigrant map …
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f*cker → give → map
When did my Italian brothers and sisters become so soft! …
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brothers → become → ?
I will NOT attend this year if he is there.
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he → attend → ?
"
"The Italians need to step up and stop this!" he added.
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he → need → this
Crispi has threatened to hold a competing Columbus Day parade next year if the Columbus Citizens Foundation does not revoke its invitation to the mayor.
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Foundation → threaten → mayor
The Mayor’s office and the Columbus Citizens Foundation did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
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office → respond → Monday
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