Mamdani attends Union Square vigil amid protest

Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended an October 7 anniversary vigil in Manhattan on Wednesday as protesters outside the gathering shouted accusations at him and disrupted speakers with chants and drums. The event at Union Square marked three years since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Organizers planned the vigil to remember those killed in the attack and in the violence that followed. Protesters had gathered earlier near City Hall and moved to the square, where they stood outside police barricades as the vigil took place. Accounts from the scene described demonstrators calling Mamdani a traitor and accusing him of genocide and betraying Palestinians. Protesters also chanted as speakers read testimony connected to the conflict, and banged drums nearby. The reports describe the demonstration as disrupting or drowning out parts of the program, though they do not establish that every reported chant was heard by all present. Mamdani attended the vigil and held a candle, according to reports. He did not speak at the event, and left with security, one account said. Former City Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also attended.