New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has endured a punishing week, with mounting signs that he is losing support among the left-wing coalition that helped propel him to City Hall.
An outspoken Democratic Socialist, Mamdani rose rapidly from relative obscurity to become mayor with strong backing from progressive and pro-Palestinian factions of the political left.
But on Wednesday, pro-Palestinian protesters branded him a “traitor” as he held a candle at a Union Square vigil marking the third anniversary of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The following day, demonstrators confronted Mamdani while he discussed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting of 28-year-old Oscar Bergal, a Dominican Republic immigrant, in northern Manhattan’s Marble Hill neighborhood.
“Mamdani is complicit,” protesters shouted, repeatedly drowning out the mayor’s remarks.
During Thursday’s address, Mamdani called for ICE to be abolished. At the same time, some of his supporters have questioned his repeated meetings with President Donald Trump, including their most recent encounter at Gracie Mansion in September.
Mamdani told The New York Times on Friday that he met with Trump “to ensure that we’re using every opportunity we have to deliver for this city.”
Yet the mayor was unable to persuade Trump to release Bergal, despite making several phone calls to the president and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the outlet reported.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was booed during an October 7 candlelight vigil in Union Square on Wednesday night
He has also come under fire for repeatedly meeting with President Donald Trump, most recently at Gracie Mansion last month
“Mamdani is complicit,” protesters chanted Thursday as he addressed the ICE shooting of Dominican immigrant Oscar Bergal alongside NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch
The first clear indication that Mamdani’s standing with the left might be weakening came during his appearance at the October 7 vigil.
Protesters shouted “traitor” and “sellout,” accusing the mayor of abandoning or failing to uphold positions that had helped define his political rise.
Mamdani remained stone-faced as the left-wing demonstrators heckled him.
He left the memorial without responding to the crowd and later ate at Hinds Hall, the Upper West Side’s only Palestinian restaurant.
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A masked activist waiting outside the restaurant ran toward Mamdani’s car and yelled, “Stop being a f***ing traitor.”
Another protester called the mayor a “boot licker.”
David Carlucci, a Democratic strategist and former New York state senator, said the confrontation reflected the broader difficulties Mamdani now faces in office.
“The transition from activist to executive is one of the toughest challenges in politics,” Carlucci told the Wall Street Journal.
The October 7 memorial was disrupted when pro-Palestinian demonstrators confronted Mamdani
Mamdani was later seen having dinner at Hinds Hall, the Upper West Side’s only Palestinian restaurant
Mamdani was met with more jeers when he addressed the shooting of Bergal next to NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch, who has also faced criticism from the left.
A mayoral spokeswoman said Tisch remained the commissioner without plans to change that, according to the outlet.
The NYPD was also criticized after pushing anti–ICE protesters to the ground on Thursday night following Bergal’s shooting.
Authorities have said Bergal is undocumented with a felony record and gang affiliations.
Mamdani ally and Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier was among those demonstrators.
She called for Tisch to step down in the wake of what happened.
‘The NYPD spent more time protecting a militia that just shot someone than protecting New Yorkers,’ Chevalier said.
Bergal was driving with his 5–year–old son when he was shot by ICE. His lawyer, Harold Solis, said Bergal was still in a Brooklyn federal jail with a bullet in his body.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.