A group of anti-Israel protesters on Wednesday targeted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him a "traitor," accusing him of "genocide" and claiming he "cannot weaponize being brown anymore."
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he → target → genocide
The crowd of more than 100 demonstrators marched from City Hall to Union Square, where a vigil was held to mark the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks in Israel.
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vigil → march → Israel
The vigil was organized as an evening of mourning for those killed in the Oct. 7 attacks and the bloodshed that followed, including Israelis and Palestinians.
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that → organize → Israelis
The anti-Israel crowd was just outside the barricades of the Israelis for Peace Vigil, beating on drums and attempting to drown out the speakers, according to City & State New York.
Mamdani was at the vigil and held a candle as protesters threw various insults at him, including accusations of genocide and "selling all your people out.
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protesters → beat → people
"Zohran, what do you say?
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you → say → what
How many kids did you kill today?" the protesters shouted, according to the outlet.
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protesters → kill → outlet
"700,000 dead. Mamdani, your hands are red!" they also chanted.
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they → chant → ?
You sold all your people out!"
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You → sell → people
the group was also heard chanting.
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group → hear → ?
The crowd also shouted: "Zohran, you can’t hide.
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you → shout → ?
We charge you with genocide!"
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We → charge → genocide
"We don’t care about where you’re from.
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you → care → where
You cannot talk about being Muslim anymore.
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You → talk → ?
You cannot weaponize being brown anymore.
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You → weaponize → ?
Identity politics can only get you so far," they said.
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they → get → you
One protester also claimed to be a former intern for Mamdani, saying the mayor "was never working for the people."
Protesters also demanded that Mamdani take action against New York real-estate events that have marketed properties in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which the demonstrators characterize as "stolen" Palestinian land, according to City & State New York.
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demonstrators → claim → City
Stop the sale of stolen land," the group chanted.
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group → stop → land
The protesters also called for abolishing the City University of New York's Board of Trustees, whose members are largely appointed by the mayor and governor.
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members → call → mayor
Protesters have previously accused the board of ignoring demands to divest investments linked to Israel and criticized its handling of anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.
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Protesters → accuse → campus
Despite the protesters' accusations of genocide on Wednesday, Mamdani is a longtime critic of the Israeli government's actions in Gaza and has denounced its treatment of Palestinians in the aftermath of the 2023 attack.
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Mamdani → denounce → attack
In a statement on Wednesday, Mamdani condemned Hamas’ attack as a "horrific war crime" while also characterizing Israel’s subsequent military operation as a genocide.
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Mamdani → condemn → genocide
"The suffering did not begin nor end that day," he wrote.
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he → begin → ?
"It instead continued through the Israeli government’s devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza in which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — including more than 21,000 children."
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it → continue → children
Israel has rejected accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza, saying its military targets Hamas and other terrorist groups while seeking to minimize civilian casualties.
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military → reject → casualties
The mayor's statement sparked bipartisan backlash, with Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., calling it "egregious and insulting."
"There are 364 days of the year to focus on that.
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Goldman → spark → that
This is a day that should just be focused on what was by all agreement a horrific terror attack," Goldman, who is Jewish, told Politico.
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who → focus → Politico
"What the mayor’s statement did today was to blame Israelis for the attack that they suffered three years ago.
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they → blame → that
Regardless of what you actually think of the conflict and what’s happened either since or before, there’s no excuse for victim blaming."
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what → think → blaming
The Aporia
