Thousands of protesters gathered outside Gracie Mansion on Tuesday, accusing New York City Mayor Shakir Mamdani of failing to address rising antisemitism. The demonstrators, many waving Israeli and American flags, called on Governor Kathy Hochul to remove the city's first socialist mayor, according to multiple reports. their anger was fueled by Mamdani's decision to revoke the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and to scrap a prohibition on city agencies engaging in the BDS movement.

The 57% statistic that frames the crisis

According to NYPD data cited by protesters, Jews were the target of more hate crimes than all other groups combined in 2025, with antisemitic incidents comprising 57% of reported hate crimes despite Jews makiing up only about 10% of the city's population.. This disparity has become a central talking point for critics who argue that Mamdani has failed to protect the Jewish community. the source article notes that several recent attacks—including a thwarted terrorist plot at a prominent synagogue and multiple incidents of swastika graffiti in Queens—have heightened fears.

Why Mamdani revoked the IHRA definition and what it means

The mayor's decision to revoke the city's use of the IHRA definition of antisemitism and to lift the ban on city agencies participating in the BDS movement has drawn fierce condemnation from Jewish advocacy groups. The IHRA definition has been widely adopted by governments and institutions to identify antisemitism in its various forms. Critics argue that scrapping it sends a signal that the administration is not taking the issue seriously. As the source reports, rally organizer Rabbi David Goldstein said, "We are not here to beg for protection.... We are here to demand equal protection. Jewish rights are civil rights."

The Park East protests and the 'Globalize the intifada' chants

Another flashpoint was Mamdani's response to pro-Palestinian protests outside Park East Synagogue, where demonstrators reportedly chanted "Globalize the intifada" and allegedly carried Hezbollah flags. Actor James Maslow, a native New Yorker, accused the mayor of refusing to condemn the term "globalize the intifada" on his first day in office. The source article says Maslow noted that three generations of his family loved New York,but "something is not right now." This incident has become a symbol of what protesters see as the mayor's indifference.

What remains unverified about the mayor's wife's social media

Protesters also pointed to Instagram activity from Mamdani's wife, who reportedly liked posts appearing to celebrate Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli civilians and shared an essay calling the attack "spectacular" and describing Jewish Israelis as "rootless soulless ghouls." The source article does not provide independent verification of these social media posts or any response from the mayor's office. This remains a key unanswered question: whether the mayor has publicly addressed his wife's apparent endorsements of violence against Israelis.