Anti-Israel protesters march New York City and demand action from Mamdani

NEW YORK — Anti-Israel protesters gathered at Columbia University for the “From Harlem to Gaza” march on Thursday evening to voice support for the Palestinian cause and make radical demands of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The march marked the second anniversary of the dismantling of the Gaza Solidarity Encampments at Columbia University and the City College of New York (CCNY), as well as the infamous takeover of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall. Students who took over the building unfurled a banner reading “Hind’s Hall,” a reference to Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old who was killed in Gaza during Israel’s war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

The crowd consisted of students and supporters, many clad in keffiyehs, a headscarf associated with the Palestinian movement. One protester was seen wearing a “freeze the rent” button from Mamdani’s mayoral campaign, even as the group criticized the mayor.

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As the group of protesters gathered outside the university gates, select members delivered speeches and messages, giving others time to join. One of the speakers said she was delivering a message from Elmina Aghayeva, a Columbia student who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Aghayeva was released from ICE detention following a meeting between Mamdani and President Donald Trump.

Following the speeches at the meeting point, the group marched along Amsterdam Avenue, going from 116th Street to the gates of CCNY. Along the way, the New York Police Department escorting the march unsuccessfully attempted to move protesters from the street to the sidewalk.

When they made it to City College, the group stood within barricades set up by NYPD officers and continued chanting before getting into more speeches. After being escorted by police during the march, some protesters began taunting officers with chants of “Oink, oink, piggy, piggy, we will make your lives s—ty.” One speaker also referred to police as “f—ing pigs.”

Throughout the march, protesters chanted, “We don’t want no two states, we want ’48,” “from Harlem to Gaza, globalize the intifada” and “Palestine is our demand, no peace on stolen land.”

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Once they arrived at the end point of the march, a new chant began: “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here.” That chant was quickly revised to “We support resistance here.” The shift came after a protester appeared to confer briefly with a chant leader, who seemed to take notice of press recording nearby.

One of the speakers read off the group’s list of demands for Mamdani, which included calling on CCNY to disclose all investments; divest from Israel, the Department of Homeland Security and prison labor; and adopt a permanent ethical investment policy. 

The group also demanded the mayor shut down what it described as the “illegal sale” of Palestinian land in New York City; remove Jessica Tisch and dismantle the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group; reimpose property taxes on Columbia University and New York University to fund public education; and abolish the CCNY Board of Trustees.

“Mayor Mamdani, you were very comfortable in using the struggle of the liberation of Palestine to win the hearts of New Yorkers and to put you in office. But now that you’re in office, we will hold you accountable to your words, and we will not allow you to use Palestine as a political tool,” a protester said before reading the list of demands. She later added, “Shame on you, Mamdani!”

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The group eventually broke out into chants of “Mamdani, take a stand, end the sale of stolen land” and “Zohran, take a side, justice or genocide.”

Mamdani’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict became a major issue during his mayoral campaign. His refusal for much of the campaign to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many interpret as a call for violence against Jews, drew criticism. 

Additionally, his association with vocal Israel critic and far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and Mahmoud Khalil, who played a key role in anti-Israel protests at Columbia, also drew scrutiny.

In a recent controversy, Mamdani released a video promoting the Rent Guidelines Board initiative that included a man wearing a keffiyeh, which some critics viewed as a political statement given its association with anti-Israel protesters.

While the mayor had skeptics in the Jewish community, he largely enjoyed the support of those on the left during his campaign. However, some of his supporters have since called on him to do more for the Palestinian cause.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office and the NYPD for comment but did not immediately receive responses.