New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is urging residents to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the city, a call that has drawn sharp criticism from members of the NYPD.
The appeal comes after a demanding stretch for the department, which provided security for the FIFA World Cup, Independence Day celebrations, and America 250 events that drew millions of visitors. Officers worked extended 12-hour shifts to manage the surge in crowds.
Patrick Hendry, president of the NYPD Police Benevolent Association, said the mayor’s stance places officers in a difficult position. “The mayor’s activist posturing puts police officers on the street in a terrible position,” 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 also pointed to constraints from a lawsuit settlement that he said has limited the department’s protest response. “The mayor’s heated rhetoric could be enough to push demonstrations over the edge into chaos,” he added.
Mamdani has long been a vocal critic of Netanyahu. During his mayoral campaign, he said he would seek to have the Israeli leader arrested if he visited New York, citing a 2024 International Criminal Court warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. This week he acknowledged he lacks the legal authority to order such an arrest and instead encouraged public demonstrations.
“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 at City Hall. “That New Yorkers can express themselves, whether they are in support or in opposition, no matter on whatever topic. And I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment.”
Some rank-and-file officers expressed frustration. One Manhattan officer asked whether Mamdani was serious, noting that police had just finished weeks of long hours for the Knicks and World Cup and were now facing additional strain. A Brooklyn officer described the mayor as “nothing more than a cheap politician looking for cheap headlines.” Another veteran said Mamdani has yet to accept that he is no longer an activist: “He should be governing the city and trying to keep the peace, instead of inciting a riot with his rhetoric.”
