Fans of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani were corralled into barricaded pens with no bathrooms or food at the “block party” for his inauguration on Thursday as New York City mayor.
“It’s definitely not a block party,” 30-year-old Astoria resident Danny Mahabir told the New York Post, explaining that he expected food and music on New Year’s Day.
Around 10,000 supporters of the Muslim socialist stood outside City Hall during the event, which Mamdani’s staff called the “Inauguration for a New Era Block Party,” per the report.
Mahabir, who wore three layers of clothes to protect against the frigid 20-degree weather, said he and others were “just stuck behind the barricades watching it on TV.”
The crowd heard other far-left speakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), before Mamdani took the oath of office.
“It’s not exactly what I was expecting,” 30-year-old Brooklyn resident Shane Turner told the outlet. “I was expecting food and music.”
“I could’ve watched this from home,” said a 25-year-old Queens woman who declined to identify herself.
The security lines also reportedly caused some confusion and delayed entry for some attendees. Event organizers told attendees to arrive by 11 a.m. for the 1 p.m. ceremony, which started a half-hour later. Another woman, who did not want to be identified, told the Post she waited in line for 90 minutes to access the viewing area.
“The police officers have not been informed about anything; they don’t know which entrance or where anything is,” she said. “I’m really, really unhappy.”
Mamdani’s team warned attendees on their website that the event would not have portable restrooms because of “safety concerns,” and also said there would be “no food for sale within the block party.”
Mamdani officials told attendees there were nearby markets and places to buy food, but they would need to leave the barricaded area and go through security again to get back in, according to the report.
Even still, many who attended said they are passionate supporters of the new mayor.
“I’m not disappointed,” Turner said. “I came here to witness history. The past four years felt like hell under the previous mayor.”
Read the full article here