Seriously, Zo?
Big Apple Mayor Zohran “Marxist” Mamdani encouraged New Yorkers opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protest when the Israeli leader visits the city, drawing an angry warning from the NYPD’s largest police union.
“The mayor’s activist posturing puts police officers on the street in a terrible position,” Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry told The New York Post.
“Protests during the UN General Assembly are nothing new, but when the mayor of the city is actively calling for demonstrations, violent agitators will assume they have permission to cause as much havoc as possible,” Hendry said.
The clash comes after officers pulled extended shifts through a packed summer calendar that included the FIFA World Cup, the Knicks’ NBA championship, Independence Day and the massive America 250 celebration.
Now they could face another major mobilization when Netanyahu arrives for the United Nations General Assembly.
Hendry argued that existing restrictions on the NYPD’s protest response have already made managing volatile demonstrations more difficult.
“Those same agitators know that the NYPD’s protest response is already hamstrung by the dangerous lawsuit settlement the city signed over the PBA’s opposition,” he said. “The mayor’s heated rhetoric could be enough to push demonstrations over the edge into chaos.”
Mamdani has repeatedly denounced Netanyahu and previously vowed to have him arrested under an International Criminal Court warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Hannity’s Highlights
Mamdani encouraged Netanyahu’s opponents to exercise their right to protest — remarks that drew swift pushback from law enforcement.
The NYPD union warned his rhetoric could embolden violent agitators — putting the mayor on a collision course with the officers he oversees.
Officers have already been working extended shifts through major summer events — raising concerns about the strain another round of protests would put on the force.
Mamdani acknowledged he cannot independently order Netanyahu’s arrest — a notable concession that undercuts the harder edge of his public posture.
The mayor acknowledged this week that New York City does not have independent authority to carry out such an arrest. He then emphasized protest as an option for Netanyahu’s opponents.
“This is a city where, if anyone feels a level of frustration or opposition, protest is something that we will always respect,” Mamdani told reporters.
“That New Yorkers can express themselves, whether they are in support or in opposition, no matter on whatever topic,” he continued. “And I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment.”
Mamdani did not explicitly direct a particular demonstration. His decision to highlight protests, however, angered officers who say they are still recovering from weeks of 12-hour shifts and extraordinary summer crowds.
“Cops just came off a crazy six weeks between the Knicks and the World Cup working long hours every day, and now he’s going to subject them to unnecessary problems,” an unnamed Manhattan officer told the Post.
A Brooklyn officer accused Mamdani of behaving like “a cheap politician looking for cheap headlines,” while another department veteran asked: “When will he realize that he is not an activist anymore?”
More over at The New York Post:
Cops fume as Mamdani urges New Yorkers to take to streets to protest Netanyahu after arrest fail: 'Edge of chaos' https://t.co/C2PrbVK6zw pic.twitter.com/Yv3neiM4Gu
— New York Post (@nypost) July 24, 2026
